To Protect And Serve
by MadameCissy
Summary: A shooting at a crime scene leaves Jane worried that Maura is being targeted for being Doyle's daughter. When they find themselves trapped without anyone being able to help them, they only have each other to rely on. To survive they have to be honest and face confronting their feelings if they want to make it out alive. [Rizzles]
1. Chapter 1

**Summary:** A shooting at a crime scene leaves Jane worried that Maura is being targeted for being Doyle's daughter. When they find themselves trapped without anyone being able to help them, they only have each other to rely on. To survive they have to be honest and face confronting their feelings if they want to make it out alive.

**Rating:** T

**Pairing:** C'mon guys, could there be anything other than Rizzles?! I may introduce Casey in the beginning of chapter 1 but he is most definitely not here to stay!

**Disclaimer:** Rizzoli & Isles belongs to the brilliant Tess Gerritsen and also to Janet Tamaro and TNT.

**Note:** I deleted "Infected" after the tragic loss that hit the Rizzoli & Isles family as the subject matter wasn't something I felt comfortable expanding after that. I wasn't sure if I would be able to face writing another Rizzles story. The tragic death of Lee Thompson Young made me wonder if I would even want to write again but it seems my fear has been overpowered by the desire to keep going. I decided to keep Frost's character to honour Lee. It won't be the same without him, both on TV and fanfic. I wouldn't want to write a Rizzles story and not include him. He'll be missed so much.

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**Chapter 1**

It had been a long day. In fact, it had been a long week. A week Jane Rizzoli would gladly forget. The type of week where she spent most hours of the day inside a courtroom, listening to statement after statement, whilst crossing her fingers they would get the conviction they were so desperate for. To hear reflections of those on the stand spoken out loud felt like hearing the victim, a woman aged only twenty one brutally strangled by her ex-boyfriend in a fit of rage, speak from beyond the grave.

The defence had attempted to paint the victim in a bad light but her friends, her family and even complete strangers told stories of a girl who came home every weekend to spend time with her parents, who worked hard in college and who dreamt about becoming a vet one day.

When, at the end of day five and after closing arguments, the jury returned within two hours, Jane's heart had hammered in the back of her throat. From where she sat, on the back row, she looked at the victim's mother, quiet tears streaming down her face, before her eyes drifted back to the jurors. Seven women and four men would decide whether the young man charged with her murder would spend the remainder of his life behind bars.

"Guilty."

There would never be a moment she didn't relish in hearing that word. It meant she had succeeded. She had done what was asked of her. She had done the one thing she believed was right. Someone who had committed a crime had been forced to stand trial and now justice was upon them. The sigh of relief that filtered through the courtroom was unmistakable and when she looked back at the woman sitting on the front row, she saw her smile for the very first time since the day they told her that her daughter had been killed. Through all her grief, through all the sadness she had yet to face, Jane had managed to give this woman back her smile, even if it was for the shortest of moments.

Jane heaved a sigh as she climbed the steps to her apartment building. She stuck the key in the front door and before stepping inside, glanced up at the sky. It was late November and winter was rapidly approaching. Darkness fell earlier every day and the nights were getting colder. A bitter wind whipped around her face. She huddled a little deeper into her jacket before closing the door behind her and walking across the small lobby to the stairs.

When she walked into her apartment the first thing she did was search the wall for the light switch. A moment of anxiety filled her just before the light chased the shadows away. Dark eyes scanned the room, a habit left behind after her experience with Hoyt. She never walked into a room without looking around, reassuring herself there were no monsters lurking in the shadows.

Her phone vibrated and she pulled the device from its holder on her belt. She smiled when she saw the screen. One new message from Maura Isles.

_Heard you got a guilty verdict today. Well done, Jane. _

She typed her reply and was only halfway through when Jo Friday jumped up against her legs. She put the phone down on the kitchen counter and dropped to her knees to fuss the dog. Jo enthusiastically licked her hands and her face before sprinting to the door and barking softly. Jane pushed herself back up and sighed.

"I guess you want to go out, huh?" she said as she took the lead from the hook next to the door and attached it to Jo Friday's collar.

Once outside she walked along the quiet street. This block and the next two were basically full of apartment buildings. It was a popular area with young professionals and commuters into the city, much like Jane herself. She knew most of her neighbour's cars and at this time of night, most of them were home. She looked up as if to confirm her thought and saw lights burning behind every window in her building. Behind one of the windows two shadows moved, almost like they were dancing and Jane smiled to herself.

In the distance thunder rumbled in the sky and it snapped her out of her thoughts and she gave a soft tug at Jo's lead. The dog walked away from the small patch of grass she'd been sniffing at and followed Jane back towards her own apartment. The sound of a car driving into her road made Jane look up just before she climbed the steps to the building's front door and she noticed a town car pull into the only empty parking spot. The lights dimmed and the driver's door opened. A tall figure got out.

She was about to turn around and go inside when a male voice calling her name made her look back. Jane's eyes narrowed as she watched the figure emerge from the shadows, their face eventually illuminated by the light from a streetlamp.

"Casey?"

Her voice betrayed her surprise and she didn't move. She stood nailed to the ground as he walked up to her, a smile from ear to ear. He walked with confidence in his stride and he climbed the steps to the front door effortlessly. Before she could speak he took her hand and pulled her towards him. For a few dazzling seconds the world didn't make sense and her mind was blurred but just before his lips found hers she placed her hands against his chest and pushed him away.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, disbelief echoing in her voice. "I thought you were still in Afghanistan?"

"I had some leave they wanted me to take," he answered. His eyes found hers. "I wanted it to be a surprise."

"Well, it worked."

Jane swallowed hard. Her brain felt like it had gone into overload. For the last few months she and Casey had only spoken to each other on the computer. She'd gotten used to seeing his face on a screen, hearing his sound coming out of a microphone slightly crackled. But now that she looked up at him it seemed like a whole different experience and not one that she had been expecting.

"Can I come in?" he asked as he held the door for her. It didn't sound like an invitation.

"Errr…" Her hesitation was brief but undeniable. "Yeah, I guess…"

He followed her into the building and up the stairs. Neither of them spoke and as Jane fumbled with the keys to her front door she wondered if he had noticed her initial hesitation. Her body stiffened when she felt his hands slide across her waist, pulling her closer. The shiver that crept down her spine was unmistakable and she turned her head away far enough to avoid his lips trying to kiss the back of her neck. At that same time the door to her apartment opened and she practically fell inside.

Jo bolted across the room and disappeared into her basket and Jane walked into the kitchen, not really acknowledging Casey as he closed the door behind him. The sound of his footsteps alerted her to him standing behind her once again as she opened the fridge. She grabbed herself a beer. She still didn't make eye contact.

"You want one?"

"Forget the beer," he whispered into her ear. "There's something else I want."

~()~

Jane walked into Maura's kitchen and found the medical examiner still in her pyjamas, clutching a cup of coffee. Concern was etched across the doctor's face and Jane noticed how Maura's hazel eyes swept over her frame as she walked towards her. It seemed that her desperate text message she sent earlier that morning had rattled her.

"Jane, is everything okay?" Maura wanted to know when Jane reached her and pushed a cup of coffee towards the tired looking detective. "What's going on?"

"Casey's back."

Maura almost dropped her coffee mug and her eyes widened. "What?!"

"That's exactly what I thought," Jane admitted and her dark eyes found Maura's. "He just turned up on my doorstep."

"What? When?"

"Last night."

Maura put her mug down and stared at Jane. Over the last two years she'd seen what even simply mentioning the name Casey did to Jane. What she saw this morning only confirmed those thoughts. Jane looked pained and confused. She heaved a sigh and leant against the kitchen island, biting back a sudden urge of nausea. "Tell me everything."

"I came home, walked Jo Friday and then suddenly, there he was!" Jane answered and shook her head. "He just turned up out of the blue. I mean, who does that? Who comes back from Afghanistan without telling anyone?"

"So what happened?"

"He spent the night."

"You slept with him?!"

"NO!" Jane's eyes snapped up and met Maura's. The medical examiner looked back at her, seemingly confused by Jane's unexpected outburst. She took a deep breath and pulled a face. "I told him I couldn't."

Maura frowned. "What do you mean, you couldn't?"

Jane's gaze dropped down to her waist and she jerked her head. "You know," she said. "I told him it wasn't the right time."

"I see," Maura said, now smiling a little. "Wrong timing."

Jane ran her fingers through her hair before throwing her arms onto the kitchen counter and dropping her head on it. "What am I gonna do?"

"Aren't you glad he's here?" Maura asked apprehensively.

She wasn't sure she wanted to know the answer to that question. She knew that, regardless of how Jane felt about Casey being here right at this moment in time, she would be the one picking up the pieces once he decided to leave again. She'd done it plenty of times before and she knew she would do it again, even though she kept telling herself she wasn't going to. Jane was her best friend and she wasn't going to walk away from that just because she had a horrible taste in men.

"I don't know." Jane's voice was muffled by her arms covering her head.

Maura looked at Jane. She hated seeing her like this. The strong, independent Jane Rizzoli that she knew would somehow change into this whinging pile of mess whenever Casey was back in town. The inner turmoil Maura felt as her eyes lingered on Jane's finely sculptured body was something she couldn't even begin to try and put into words.

She loved Jane. It wasn't a mystery to her. She had known for a long time. Somewhere in between Hoyt breaking out of prison and the Boston strangler apparently being back on the loose, she had fallen in love with Jane Rizzoli. Feelings of friendship had changed into feelings of love but Maura knew that Jane didn't feel the same way. The fact that she busied herself with men like Gabriel Dean and Casey Jones was all the confirmation Maura needed and she had accepted that her feelings would remain unanswered. This didn't mean that loving Jane didn't hurt. It hurt like hell but the pain was something Maura had gotten used to. It was part of her now, slumbering just beneath the surface and only rearing its head in moments like these.

"You keep going back to him," Maura pointed out. It sounded bitterer than she had intended and Jane peered up at her through her arms, clearly alarmed by the tone of her voice. "You must feel something for him."

Jane opened her mouth to answer but was cut off by the sound of her phone ringing. She checked the caller ID and sighed. "It's dispatch." She pressed the answer button. "Rizzoli."

A couple of minutes went by and Jane hung up. Her eyes found Maura's. "Come on, get dressed. We gotta go."

"Go where?"

"Body found in South Boston."

Maura left the kitchen and Jane heard the shower switch on only a couple of minutes later. She climbed on one of the chairs and sipped from her coffee. The sound of a door opening behind her made her look over her shoulder and watched as her mother walked into the house.

"Hey, Ma."

"Morning, Janie," Angela said and took in the sight of her tired looking daughter. "You're early. Where's Maura?"

"In the shower," Jane answered.

"You been here all night?" Angela wanted to know as she circled the island and picked a mug from the cupboard. She poured herself the remaining coffee and turned around to look at her daughter. The dark rings around her eyes were unmistakable and she knew that look. It was the look of a woman who clearly had something on her mind but refused to talk about it. "You look like hell."

"What, is it National Nagging Mother's Day or something?"

Angela raised her hands in defence. "Just askin'."

"It's been a long week," Jane groaned. "First I spent all of it in a court and now I get called out just before my free weekend. You know what that means? It means I will have maxed out on overtime again this month. And you know what maxing out on overtime means? It means I don't have a life."

"Jane? I'm ready."

Maura appeared back in the kitchen dressed in a pair of white slacks and a simple yet elegant black blouse. Her damp hair had been pulled back in a casual ponytail and she clutched a pair of black high heeled pumps in her hand. She then discovered Angela leaning against the counter and smiled.

"Morning, Angela."

"Morning, Maura."

"Are you driving?" Maura directed her question at Jane and held up her shoes. "I really can't drive when I wear these so…"

"Yeah, I'll drive," Jane grinned and grabbed Maura's arm, dragging her towards the door. The doctor almost tripped over her own feet as she tried to keep up with her. "Come on, or our body will be in the last stages of decomp by the time we get there."

The drive to South Boston was pleasant in such a way that they avoided the morning rush hour because it was so early. Located south and east of the Fort Point Bridge, South Boston was a very densely populated neighbourhood with a lot of history, a lot of it dating back to the Irish immigrants that had moved into the city decades earlier. The area was also well known because of its links to the Irish mob that ruled the Boston underworld.

Jane pulled up a few feet away from the yellow police tape that cordoned off the crime scene and got out. She hung her badge around her neck and tied her unruly curls up into a messy ponytail as she walked up to the uniformed rookie with the clipboard.

"Rizzoli, Homicide. Victor 825," she said before ducking under the tape and holding it up for Maura, who was closely behind her.

They walked onto the crime scene and found Korsak and Frost standing by a blue sedan. The two men looked up when Jane approached and Korsak pointed at the car. The body was that of a male and a bullet hole right between the eyes left no doubt over what had been the cause of death. Korsak grimaced as Jane came closer.

"Mickey O'Donnell."

"You're kidding?!" Jane whistled through her teeth and looked inside the car. She looked back at Korsak. "Oh my God, it really is him!"

"Who's Mickey O'Donnell?" Maura wanted to know.

"Really?" Jane looked at her in surprise. "You're Paddy Doyle's daughter and you don't know who Mickey O'Donnell is?"

Maura shook her head. "He may be the man who fathered me but I didn't exactly read his autobiography, Jane."

"Mickey O'Donnell, former IRA. Came to Boston twenty years ago but still has links to Ireland. Suspected arms dealer," Korsak answered. "Big man in the Irish mob, and has ruled these streets with an iron fist for years." His gaze fixed on Maura. "One of Paddy's Doyle's biggest enemies."

"This is going to cause a stir in the underworld," Jane said knowingly. She looked back at the dead man in the car before walking around the vehicle. She pointed out the bullet hole in the windscreen. "Someone must have caught him by surprise. Right between the eyes." She chewed the inside of her cheek. "Why would a guy like O'Donnell travel alone in this part of Southie? He knows who rules these streets. This is Doyle's hunting ground."

"Paddy Doyle's been in prison for months," Maura said as she walked over to Jane. "You think he put out a hit on O'Donnell from the inside?"

"Even if he did, we'll never be able to prove it," Jane sighed and looked around. The street they were standing on was abandoned. No other cars were parked and the buildings on either side appeared to be have been empty for some time. "Guys like these solve their own problems and BPD never finds a way in. What I'm curious about is why he came here. I mean, look around. There's nothing here!"

"You thinking what I'm thinking?" Korsak asked and Jane nodded.

"Looks like a set-up."

"A set-up?" Maura asked. "You mean someone lured O'Donnell out here and killed him?"

Jane nodded. "Someone he trusted. No self-respecting mob boss who has ruled the streets for this long is just going to turn up because someone asked him to." She looked at Frost. "Get uniforms to check all these buildings."

Frost dug his cell phone out of his pocket. "I'm on it."

"We should get…"

Jane's voice trailed off as she turned away from the car and her eyes scanned the surrounding buildings. They were all warehouses but somehow her attention was drawn to the one behind them. She didn't know why but her gaze was fixed on the roof. Slowly her dark eyes narrowed. All her senses kicked in and the hairs on the back of her neck rose up. Suddenly her heart hammered ten times faster in her chest and the bright glint of light made her spin around and grab the person nearest to her, pulling them to the ground.

"GUN!"

The sound of the bullet being fired overpowered the sound of her voice. After that, there was only silence.

For a few seconds the world seemed to have stopped. The silence was deafening but then came the overwhelming noise of voices shouting. Jane's eyes opened and she looked down at the person lying underneath her. Maura looked back up at her, eyes wide with fear. Neither of them moved, momentarily frozen.

"You okay?" Jane whispered, her lips close to the medical examiner's ear.

"Yeah." Maura's answer was barely audible. "You?"

Jane had mentally checked herself. She didn't feel pain anywhere. "I' m good," she answered as she slowly got onto her knees before standing up. She reached out a hand to Maura and helped her up. Instinctively she wrapped the doctor up into her arms, holding her as close as she could, and protectively kissed her hair.

"Jane!" Korsak shouted. He had appeared from behind one of the squad cars. "You alright?!"

"We're good," Jane answered but pointed at the roof from where the gun had been fired. "Get someone up there and find the son of a bitch that tried to kill us!"

Korsak and Frost ran off towards the warehouse and Jane focused on Maura. She noticed she was shaking and gently brushed a strand of hair out of her eyes. Dark eyes found hazel ones and she saw the terror etched across Maura's face.

"I don't think this was just a set-up to get to O'Donnell," she said softly, her fingers grazing across Maura's cheek.

"What?"

"I think this was a set-up to get to you."


	2. Chapter 2

**Note: **Oh my God, guys! Thanks for all the awesome reviews, follows and favourites! My inbox litteraly exploded. Rizz;es fandom is the best!

_lyrics in this chapter: Travis Tritt - Anymore_

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**Chapter 2**

The news of the shooting travelled fast and by the time Jane and Maura made it back to BPD Headquarters every cop in the city knew. When they walked into the lobby Jane immediately noticed Angela hovering by the door. She tried to grab Maura's arm and direct the doctor away from her mother's prying eyes but it was already too late.

"Jane!" Angela called out. "Maura!"

Maura's head snapped up. She'd barely spoken during their drive back to the station. Jane had insisted they'd leave the crime scene immediately, leaving the search for the sniper in the hands of Korsak and Frost. Maura hadn't protested but as Jane drove her back to BPD she could tell that what happened played on Maura's mind. From the corner of her eye she'd watched her fidget, picking nervously at her fingernails. It was so unlike Maura, who was normally calm and composed. Jane had considered asking her what was going through her mind but every time she opened her mouth to speak she fell silent again, telling herself that if Maura really wanted to talk, she would have said something by now.

"Frankie told me what happened," Angela said as she wrapped her arms around a confused looking Maura.

From where she stood Jane noticed the discomfort etched across Maura's face. Maura wasn't a hugger and although she had let Jane hug her in the past, she wasn't the type of person who let others go near her. Maura's distant and reserved attitude sometimes made her appear cold but Jane knew better.

Angela let go of Maura, her eyes scanning the younger woman's face in a way only a parent could. "Are you okay?" she wanted to know. She now gently cupped Maura's cheek, caressing her the way a mother caressed a child that had fallen of its bike and had come home with a bruised knee. "You want me to fix you something?"

Maura shook her head. "I'm fine, Angela," she said softly.

Jane could see the hives begin to form. Maura lied. Without speaking she took Maura's hand and looked at her mother. "We're fine," she reassured her mother. "I'm just going to take Maura back to her office so she can gather her thoughts before she has to give her statement, allright?"

Angela smiled half-heartedly as Jane led Maura towards the elevators and pressed the 'down' button. She felt eyes burning into their backs and she looked over her shoulder, sending a dark glare to anyone who as much as dared to glance in their direction. Maura's shoulders had dropped and she protectively wrapped an arm around her, pulling her closer. The elevator doors opened and they stepped inside. Once the doors had slid shut Jane finally looked at Maura and found the doctor looking back at her.

"You're not allright, are you?" she asked softly and Maura shook her head.

Quiet tears suddenly slid down her face and Jane enveloped Maura in her arms. Softly she kissed her hair, like she had done right after the shooting, and held Maura close. She could feel her shaking and her grip instinctively tightened. She would give anything to make the way Maura was feeling go away.

"Why did this happen?" Maura asked through her sobs.

"We'll deal with the why later," Jane answered. "Right now we need to make sure that you calm down enough to give your statement. You know Cavanaugh will want to talk to you, right?"

Maura nodded. "Someone shot at us at a crime scene. I know."

"Okay." Jane smiled into Maura's hair.

She'd asked herself the question 'why' ever since the shot rang out. She knew why. Their victim, Mickey O'Donnell, was a known mob boss and enemy number one of Paddy Doyle, Maura's mob boss biological father. Ever since the information about Maura's family tree had become known to the press, there had been several stories in the papers. Every time an article was printed where a crime was linked to Paddy Doyle or one of his men, Maura's name would creep up. The fact that the Chief Medical Examiner of Massachusetts was the daughter of a criminal was out there for the world to see.

When they first found out Doyle was Maura's father the concern for Maura's safety had been on Jane's mind every waking moment. They'd managed to keep it quiet until the shooting at the warehouse. After Jane shot Doyle, the information became public knowledge and even the subject of an inquiry. Maura had been scrutinized in ways Jane had found disgusting, with every defence lawyer in court questioning her loyalty to the Boston Police Department.

Doyle's trial had been in all the papers and Maura had been there for the largest part of it. Her picture had been taken every day she walked in and out of the courthouse and Jane's testimony in court had been analysed by journalists working for the most respected newspapers as well of those working for the trashy tabloids who cared more about sensation then news. When Hope Martin took the stand and told her story, the media interest only intensified when it emerged that she was Maura's biological mother. But now that the trial was drawing to a close and they were awaiting the verdict, it seemed the media vulchers had found someone else to pick on.

Everyone in the Boston underworld knew that the way to get to Doyle was to get to his family. It had worked when they killed his son Colin and it would work again. Hurting his family was the way to either get Doyle to talk or to shut up.

The elevator doors opened again and revealed the corridor leading to the morgue. Maura stepped out and Jane followed her. The sound of their footsteps sounded hollow against the lino flooring and when they passed the morgue on the way to Maura's office, Jane noticed Maura stopped outside the doors and peered through the small window. She quickly caught up with her and took her hand. Maura turned around and looked at Jane.

"Maura," the dark haired detective said as their gazes locked. "No."

Maura arched an eyebrow in surprise and her hazel eyes looked up at Jane. "No?"

Jane's face reflected a hardness Maura wasn't used to. The detective's features were dark and she now stepped closer to the door to stop Maura from trying to go inside.

"Get someone else to do it."

"You mean Pike?" Maura looked at Jane in disbelief. "You want me to call that pompous ass?"

"I don't care if you have to call that drunk Russian guy and get him to do it," Jane said and pushed Maura away from the doors leading to the morgue. "You are not doing this autopsy."

"But why?"

"Why?" Jane questioned. "Someone tried to kill you at a crime scene today because of that guy, Maura. That's why!"

"Don't you think that that's what they'd want me to do?" Maura challenged. "They're trying to scare me, Jane."

"And it worked!" Maura's face fell and Jane could tell she'd hit the nail on the head. "Maura, let Pike handle this autopsy. Whenever Doyle was involved you've always called in help to prevent anyone from questioning your integrity in court. This is no different."

Maura heaved a sigh. "I guess you're right."

"You guess?" Jane chuckled. "Really?"

"Jane…"

Jane smiled. "C'mon," she said as she led Maura away from the doors and in the direction of her office. "Let's go through what happened before Cavanaugh comes to take your statement. He'll want mine too and…"

She was cut off by her phone vibrating. She took it and looked at the caller ID. It was Frost.

"Hey Frost," she said and Maura's eyes snapped up. "You got anything?"

"We checked the roof of the building the shot was fired from. Nothing. Not even a casing."

"So the shooter must have taken it with him after he fired the shot. Did you find the bullet?"

"CSU dug it out of a wall two feet from where you were standing and sent it to Ballistics," Frost answered. "Hopefully they'll be able to tell us exactly what type of gun was used. How did you even see that coming? The shooter was more than fifty feet away."

"The sun reflected of the rifle," Jane answered and rubbed the back of her head. The moment she'd seen the gun played over and over again in her head. The sound of the shot still rang in her ears and it sent shivers down her spine. "I don't even want to think about what would have happened if I hadn't." She heaved a sigh and looked at Maura. She stared at the floor. "Did CSU find anything else?"

"They're still dusting the roof for prints but I doubt they'll find anything. We found some markings on the edge though. Looks like something scraped against it."

"Could be the gun," Jane wondered out loud. "He may not have had a stand to rest it on. Some snipers prefer not to use it."

"You think this is a mob hit?" Frost asked.

"Yeah," Jane replied. "Someone lured O'Donnell to Southie. Someone he trusted, otherwise he would never have gone. Doyle may be in prison but his men still rule those streets. But if you ask me, O'Donnell's death was a way to lure us out to that scene. Everyone knows about our connection to Doyle and everyone knows Maura's his daughter."

"Korsak wants to speak to you," Frost said and Jane heard some crackling before recognising her old partner's voice.

"Is Doctor Isles allright?"

"A little shaken but she's fine," Jane said.

"I just spoke to Cavanaugh. He said the statements can wait. He's more concerned about Doctor Isles' safety."

"Cavanaugh thinks they'll come back?"

"Jane, this was an organised hit. Someone went through a lot of trouble to get Doctor Isles out to that scene."

Her heart sank. A heavy feeling settled in her stomach and Jane's eyes fell shut. The true extent of what had happened, or was still happening, hit her like a ton of bricks. "You think they'll try again?"

"These guys don't give up easily," Korsak said. "Cavanaugh says to take Doctor Isles home and wait for further instructions."

"Further instructions?" Jane asked and furrowed her brow in confusion. Maura now looked at her with questioning hazel eyes. Jane could see the concern across her face. "What do you mean?"

"Just do as he says, Jane."

"Okay," Jane sighed. "I'll call you later." She hung up and looked at Maura. "Cavanaugh wants me to take you home."

"Why?" Maura wanted to know. The tremor in her voice betrayed her fear. "Jane, what's going on?"

"Cavanaugh seems to think that whoever tried to shoot you at the crime scene won't hesitate to try again."

Maura's eyes welled up with tears. "Jane…"

Jane quickly closed the distance between them and wrapped her arms around Maura. "I know," she whispered softly into her ear. She stroked Maura's hair. "I'm so sorry, Maur. I'm so sorry this is happening."

"I should have known it would happen one day," Maura sighed and a lonely tear trickled down her cheek. She rested her head against Jane's shoulder, reassured as she felt the detective's fingers thread her hair. Jane's heart beat steadily in her chest. Maura could feel it. "Doyle told me that he had to keep my existence a secret. It was why he told Hope I was dead. He knew that once people knew I was alive they would try to kill me."

"They're not going to kill you, Maur," Jane promised. She slipped her fingers under Maura's chin and gently lifted it up, forcing the smaller woman to look up at her. The intensity of Jane's coffee coloured eyes made Maura's heart skip a beat. "Anyone who tries to hurt you will have to go through me first."

Maura didn't answer. She just smiled through her tears as Jane planted another kiss on her hair. She knew this wasn't the right moment to relish in how Jane wrapping her arms around her made her feel but she couldn't help it. There didn't seem to be a safer, warmer place right now. She wasn't the type of person who needed someone to protect her. She had looked after herself since she was a little girl but Jane_ wanted_ to protect her. Maura didn't need her to do it but Jane wanted to and Maura knew what it meant to Jane so she let her.

"I'll take you home," Jane said and she and Maura slowly walked away from the morgue towards the elevator.

They rode the elevator back up to the lobby and they made their way through the lobby and out through the main entrance. Jane had parked her sedan in front of the building when they retuned form the crime scene and she now held the door to let Maura into the passenger side. She closed it once Maura was in her seat, circled the vehicle and climbed into the driver's seat. She stuck the key in the ignition and the engine came to life. The radio kicked in at the same time and immediately switched to the country station Jane had been listening to earlier that morning. A warm male voice filled the car.

"…_My heart can't take the beating, not having you to hold. A small voice keeps repeating deep inside my soul, it says I can't keep pretending I don't love you anymore…"_

Jane quickly turned the radio off and looked at Maura. She was staring out of the window, an absent look in her eyes.

"You want to call Hope?" Jane asked carefully.

Maura shook her head. "No," she answered. "Hope text me two days ago saying she and Cailin were going to London for three weeks."

Just as Jane was about to pull out of her parking space her phone vibrated again. She glanced down at the caller ID and sighed. "It's Casey."

"You should answer it," Maura said softly.

Jane shook her head and pressed the call away before dropping the phone back into her pocket. Dark eyes briefly found Maura's. "It can wait."

They drove from BPD Headquarters to Maura's house in Beacon Hill. Traffic was on their side and all the lights seemed to change to green when Jane approached. The radio continued to play old school country songs and Jane's fingers absentmindedly drummed along to the rhythm of Dolly Parton's 'Jolene'.

After twenty-five minutes she pulled up on Maura's drive and the two women got out of the car. Maura found her keys at the bottom of her purse and unlocked the front door. She caught Jane's eye just as they stepped inside and she locked the door behind her, resulting in an approving smile. They walked into the kitchen and Maura dropped her purse on the island. She then turned to Jane and watched as the dark haired woman walked straight to the fridge and opened it in the search for a bottle of water.

Jane hadn't said anything but Maura knew her phone had vibrated three more times on their way here. Every time Jane had refused to answer and although Maura hadn't seen the caller ID, she suspected it was Casey.

Jane took a large gulp from the bottle she'd taken from the fridge without bothering to find a glass in the kitchen cupboard. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and then reached into her pocket for her phone. The screen said she had four missed calls. All were from the same person. She sighed, feeling irritation settling in the pit of her stomach as she looked down at Casey's name. She then scrolled through her contacts to look for Cavanaugh and hit the 'dial' button. Almost immediately the phone was answered.

"Rizzoli?" he asked.

"It's me, sir," Jane confirmed.

"You took Doctor Isles home?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good." There was a brief pause. "Here's what I want you to do. Get Doctor Isles to pack a bag, then wait for Vince to pick you up."

"Pick us up?" Jane asked and Maura looked up in surprise. Neither of them understood what was happening. "Sir, what exactly is going on?"

"I'm sending Doctor Isles and you to a safe house until this whole thing is solved."

"What?" Jane exclaimed. "But sir, I want to…"

"No buts, Rizzoli. I want someone with Doctor Isles at all times and I can't think of anyone I trust with that job more than you," Cavanaugh interjected. "Vince will pick you up and drive you to the address. The Drug Unit has offered us one of their places. Your mother lives with Doctor Isles, right?"

"Yes…"

"Is there anywhere else she can stay? I can arrange for her to be moved to a hotel…"

Jane felt the back of her throat become dry. Things were spiralling out of control rapidly. She'd been scared and worried after the shooting but it seemed Cavanaugh was even more concerned then she was. Her heart was racing in her chest and suddenly the palms of her hands had become sweaty. The knot in her stomach tightened.

"She has a cousin she can stay with," Jane said softly.

"Okay," Cavanaugh said. He sounded resolute. "Keep your head down, Rizzoli."

When he hung up Jane was left staring at her phone. The whole situation seemed surreal.

"Jane?" Maura asked. "What did he say?"

"Cavanaugh is moving you to a safe house," Jane said and she looked up at Maura.

"No!" Maura said sharply. "Jane, I am not leaving my own home. If I allow them to frighten me like this then they've won!"

Jane shook her head. "Maur, you don't have a choice. Cavanaugh wants you to go." She swallowed hard. The lump in her throat didn't shift. She realised it was fear. Suddenly she was terrified. "He seems to think that whoever tried to kill you will come back. It isn't difficult to find out where you live."

"We don't even know if this is about Doyle!" Maura exclaimed. "It may not even have anything to do with my father."

"You want to sit around here and wait to find out?" Jane retorted. She sighed. "Look, if it makes you feel any better, Cavanaugh decided I'm staying with you till this whole thing is over." Her eyes found Maura's and she could see the doctor relax a little. "Not some rookie uniformed officer or grumpy old detective you don't know. It's just going to be me and everything's going to be fine."

"Okay," Maura sighed reluctantly. "But who's going to look after Bass?"

"I'll get Frankie to take him to my apartment. He can look after him and Jo Friday," Jane said and placed her hand on Maura's arm. "It's only going to be for a couple of days."

Maura looked at Jane. "You think?"

"Yeah," Jane smiled. "This will be over before you know it."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Jane helped Maura pack her things. She neatly folded the clothes Maura gave her into the doctor's favourite yoga bag. When she looked up she noticed the distant look in Maura's eyes. Just as Maura was about to hand Jane another long sleeved sweater, the dark haired detective caught Maura's wrist and she looked up.

"It's going to be okay," Jane promised.

"Then why am I being forced out of my own home?"

"Because they know where you live, Maur. We need to find them before they find you," Jane said, easing her grip on Maura's wrist a little. Neither of them looked away and the longer she stared into Maura's eyes, the more of the underlying desperation Jane got to see. "Maura, I wish there was another way but there isn't. You're not safe here."

Maura didn't answer. She simply averted her eyes, breaking the intense eye contact, and proceeded to put her sweater into the bag. She then zipped it up, aware that Jane was looking at her. Deep down she was glad Jane would be the one staying with her. There wasn't anyone she trusted more than Jane but she couldn't shake this nagging and uncomfortable feeling. Spending time with Jane in a safe house meant being together all day and all night. The only reason she had learnt to cope with her feelings was because there were moments where she could be alone. It was in those moments that she managed to find the strength to keep up her charade.

Maura couldn't lie. She had never been able to, ever since she was a little girl. Her parents knew this and if they as much as suspected she had done something she shouldn't, on the rare occasions that she actually did, they would just ask her. Her cheeks would flush red and she'd almost hyperventilate. The hives were something that came when she hit her teenage years. Until she met Jane she believed that the truth was always the best way forward. She had truly believed it until her feelings changed. Now she understood that sometimes there were moments where it was best to lie, no matter how much it hurt. To lie and pretend she didn't feel the way she felt meant she would at least get to have Jane in her life.

"Is this everything?"

Jane's voice cut through the silence and Maura quickly nodded.

"I think so." She briefly glanced at Jane. "Don't you need to get your stuff?"

"I sent Ma a text earlier. She went to my apartment," Jane answered. "Korsak's bringing it with him." She checked her watch. "We should go. He'll be here any minute."

Maura swallowed hard and picked up her bag. Jane was already halfway out of the bedroom and Maura watched her as she walked. Jane walked with confidence in her stride but Maura knew that behind that toughness and Jane's inability to allow others to help her, a kind and loving woman lay hidden. Jane Rizzoli was one of the boys and Maura knew Jane would feel proud because of that description. She had a better closing rate than most of her colleagues and had busted as many perps as her male counterparts.

Tall and slender with the frame of an athlete, Jane Rizzoli seemed unaware of her natural beauty, Maura thought. Jane wasn't the type to wear make-up or high heels, preferring her favourite jeans and sneakers instead. She was the exact opposite to Maura. Jane was robust where Maura was more refined.

But it wasn't the rough kid from South Boston appearance that had drawn Maura to Jane. It had been the vulnerability she saw in Jane's eyes after Hoyt broke out of prison. Suddenly the mask, so carefully put in place so as she didn't appear weak in front of her male colleagues, slipped away and the real Jane appeared. Maura was the only person whom Jane would share her fears with. She'd seen the kindness and the loving personality that Jane hid behind her badass cop mask. The warmth of her smile still made Maura feel weak inside.

The sound of a car horn alerted them to the arrival of Korsak and Jane quickly walked through the kitchen to the front door. The older detective came walking up the path, a serious look etched across his face.

"You okay?" he asked when he saw Jane and she nodded. "How's Doctor Isles?"

"As well as you would expect someone to be under these circumstances," Jane answered and looked back over her shoulder. Maura had just come down the stairs with her bag and now looked at the two people in the open doorway, a somewhat lost look in her eyes. Suddenly her appearance struck Jane as that of a child forced into care after something bad had happened to its parents. Maura looked forlorn. She had seen too many children with the same look in their eyes on crime scenes.

"We should go," Korsak said quietly. "We haven't got much time."

"Any news from CSU?" Jane wanted to know as they walked to the car but her former partner shook his head.

"Nothing yet. Cavanaugh suggested we do a reconstruction tomorrow when the light's better. That might give us something to work with."

"Did Pike do the autopsy?"

"Did he, hell!" Korsak cursed under his breath. "When I left he was still organising his tray. I swear that guy is getting crazier every week."

Jane opened the door for Maura, allowing the medical examiner to climb into the backseat. Maura glanced at Jane as she got into the car and when Jane shut the door she could have sworn she saw Maura quickly wipe her eyes. She decided not to ask her if she was allright, understanding that Maura was trying to stay strong. She heaved a sigh as she got into the front seat and waited for Korsak to start the engine.

"Where are we going?"

"Forest Hills, Jamaica Plain."

Jane leant back in her seat and folded her hands in her lap. She knew Jamaica Plains but not very well. She'd been part of an undercover operation in that neighbourhood once during her time in the Drug Unit but she'd never been back since.

The drive across town was quiet. Nobody really talked and the only sound came from the radio was one of the local newsreaders updated them on the day's events. The death of Mickey O'Donnell was the first thing that was mentioned and Jane sat up, quickly turning up the volume so she could hear it better. When after ten minutes the news reader moved on without mentioning the shooting she glanced at Korsak.

"How did he not know about that?"

He looked at Jane. "Cavanaugh pulled a few strings. Every TV and radio station in Boston has been instructed not to mention the shooting."

"So as not to give the shooter any more attention in case he's watching the news," Maura said from the backseat.

Her words were filled with the sound of sadness. The amount of raw emotion in the tone of Maura's voice cut through Jane like a knife. She felt a cold shiver creep down her spine and bit down on her lip until she could taste her own blood. She was angry. She felt it in the pit of her stomach, slowly eating away at her insides. She resented what had happened earlier today. She wished she could turn back time and stop it from happening but even if she somehow magically succeeded, she would never be able to change the fact that Maura was Doyle's daughter. Being the child of a notorious mobster didn't come without its dangers.

Maura was brave, Jane thought. She had coped with the discovery that she was related to Paddy Doyle so much better than Jane had expected. She didn't know if she herself would have coped as well as Maura did. Throughout it all Maura had been more focused on finding out who her mother was and Jane had seen what finally finding Hope had meant to Maura. She didn't consider Doyle her father but she did consider Hope her mother.

In the past Maura had told Jane that she believed Jane was brave. For having overcome Hoyt, for having picked her life back up when she could have chosen to just dwell on her demons. But Jane didn't think of herself as brave. Bravery wasn't jumping out of building windows to chase after a perp or busting down doors. It was about learning to get through the moments when you needed to and always remaining strong. Maura had always been strong.

Jane was snapped out of her thoughts when Korsak pulled up outside an apartment building. It was dated and in desperate need of tender, love and care. Jane's eyes scanned the building before taking in the rest of their surroundings. A quiet street with a few cars parked alongside it. A woman pushed a baby in a stroller across the street. A small bodega occupied the building on the corner.

They got out of the car and Korsak opened the trunk. He handed Jane her bag and then pushed a key into her hand.

"Apartment 7A, first floor."

"Thanks, Vince," Jane said softly and took the key. "I appreciate it." Their eyes connected. "Call me if you hear anything, allright?"

"I will," Korsak promised. "Keep your heads down, okay?"

Jane heaved a sigh as she and Maura walked up to the building's main entrance. The door opened as she pushed against it and they stepped in a somewhat stale smelling lobby. The elevator had a big sign on it saying it was out of order and so they climbed the two flights of stairs to the first floor. The sound of their footsteps sounded hollow in the empty building and when they reached the wooden door with the silver number 7 and letter A on it, Jane stuck the key into the lock. It clicked immediately and the door swung open.

To their surprise the apartment appeared to be in a better state than the building itself. The walls had been recently painted in a soft shade of cream. A small kitchen with every appliance they would need and a table with two chairs near the window that overlooked the street below. A hallway led to the living room that was larger than Jane had expected and when she turned to look at Maura she could see the relief on her face.

The living room was home to a comfortable black corner unit with white cushions, a flat screen TV mounted onto the wall and a bookcase crammed full with books and magazines. A plant stood in a silver pot in the corner of the room and the floors were solid wood. Black and white picture frames finished off the stylish yet simplistic look.

They made their way towards the bedroom and Maura opened the door. The king size bed was made up with simple black sheets and the large window was covered with blinds. Lamps stood on both beside tables and a large wardrobe took up the rest of the space in the room. But it was the bed that drew Jane's attention and she looked at Maura.

"I'll take the couch."

"Don't be ridiculous, Jane," Maura said and looked up at the dark haired detective. "We've slept in the same bed before."

"For one night, Maura," Jane answered, remembering the impromptu sleepovers. "This is going to be a little longer than just one night."

"Well, you can sleep in the bed as long as you don't snore." Maura suddenly smiled and her eyes lit up. "If you snore, you sleep on the couch."

Jane's lips curled up into a smile too and she dropped her bag onto the floor. "Okay."

"I think I'll take a shower," Maura said and put her bag down on the bed. "Do you mind?"

Jane shook her head. "No, of course not. You go shower and I'll get things set up. I hope they've left us some food."

Maura just smiled and disappeared back down the hall to where the small bathroom was. Jane waited until she heard the shower being switched on before leaving the bedroom. She walked through the living room into the kitchen and opened the fridge. It was stacked full. For the next few days they would be allright. She checked the other cupboards as well, finding more food and tins as well as instant coffee.

Her phone vibrated and she took it out of her pocket. Casey's name flashed across her screen.

"Hey," she said as she answered.

"Hey. I've tried calling you…"

"I know. I'm sorry," Jane said quickly and ran her fingers through her hair. She let her eyes dance around the room, coming to a rest on the window. Absentmindedly she stared outside. "Something's come up."

"Is everything okay?"

"Everything will be fine," she said and stared down at the floor. She remembered him leaving that morning. He'd kissed her goodbye on the steps of her building before walking down to his car and driving off. She'd been called out to work half an hour earlier. As she watched him walk away she had not felt any of the regret she had expected to feel. "I just… I won't be able to see you for a little while."

"Are you sure everything's allright?" Casey asked. "Is there something you're not telling me, Jane?"

She heaved a sigh. She couldn't tell him what happened at the crime scene. Cavanaugh had managed to keep a lid on the whole situation and although she trusted Casey, she couldn't risk him knowing. A sense of unease settled in her chest. "I wish I could tell you but I can't."

"Jane? The shower's free…"

Maura's voice made her look up and she saw the doctor walk into the kitchen. Dressed in a pair of loose fitting jeans and a simple cream-colored sweater that hung off her right shoulder, revealing a white bra strap, Maura looked still surprisingly stylish. Her damp hair fell down her shoulders, framing her face in a delicate manner. Bright hazel eyes looked up at the dark haired detective but her smile somewhat faltered when she realised Jane was on the phone.

Casey had heard the other voice too. "Who's that?"

"Oh, it's Maura," Jane answered, feeling an unexpected blush creep onto her cheeks. "Listen, I can't really talk right now. Everything's fine but I won't be able to see you for a while, okay? It's work stuff and I really can't take any risks." Her dark eyes fixed on Maura. The smaller woman stared at the floor. Jane followed her gaze and noticed Maura was bare foot. It only added to the casualness of her appearance. "I gotta go."

"Okay." Casey didn't sound happy or convinced. She imagined him, the worry etched across his face and that piercing look in his eyes. He had looked at her that way ever since he first came back to Boston. Scrutinizing, as if looking for something that wasn't in plain sight, something that she hid from him. Perhaps it was the soldier in him or maybe it was just the fact he wanted to find something inside her she didn't want him to see.

"Look after yourself, Jane."

"I will."

The words sounded empty and without waiting for his reply Jane hung up. She tossed the phone onto the kitchen counter and turned her eyes up to the ceiling as she ran her hands through her hair. The sudden outburst of frustration surprised her and she couldn't fight it as the cuss word rolled off her tongue.

"Fuck!"

Maura tentatively took a step closer to Jane. Questioning eyes now searched the frustrated detective's face. She had heard Jane swear plenty of times before but never quite to this extent and what she saw flickering in those dark brown eyes alarmed her.

"You ok?"

"I… I don't know." Jane looked at Maura. "When he left this morning I didn't even think twice about when I'd see him again, you know?"

Maura remembered a conversation from a few months earlier where Casey had walked back into Jane's life after his surgery. When he left the next morning Jane had felt relieved and somewhat smothered by his idea that they could be together now and build a life. The thought of sharing domestic bliss with someone, anyone, made Jane feel uneasy. She wasn't the domestic type.

"What do you mean?" Maura asked. "You don't want to see him again?"

The question was direct, perhaps more direct than Maura had intended and Jane looked up. For a fleeting moment she looked at Maura with a blank stare but then the sadness filled her eyes and she bit her lip.

"I don't know."

Maura bit back her own feelings. "Do you love him?"

"I don't know that either."

Maura didn't answer. She believed Jane loved Casey. In fact, she had even told Angela that she thought so. But now, as she looked at Jane, she wasn't so certain anymore. It wasn't as if Jane wouldn't know the difference between loving someone and not loving them.

"You should go take a shower," she said after a couple of minutes of silence in which they had both stared out of the kitchen window overlooking the street below.

Jane turned from her reflection in the glass. "I will." She feigned a smile as she looked at Maura. "You ok?"

"I will be," Maura reassured her. "Go shower and I'll find us something to eat. We can watch a movie."

Jane sighed as she left the kitchen and Maura found herself alone. She placed her hands against the counter and hung her head, suddenly feeling the weight of the world resting on her shoulders. This was what her life had come to. She was sheltered away in a safe house because the world outside these four walls had suddenly become too dangerous. There was a price on her head and someone had tried to kill her. But here she was, trapped in a small apartment with Jane. As the sickening knot in her stomach tightened, Maura wondered for the first time which one of her two predicaments was the worst.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Frost walked into the bullpen and found Korsak sitting at his desk. The older detective looked up and their eyes found each other across the room but not before Frost's eyes had drifted to Jane's desk. It was strange to see her desk empty. He was so used to her being part of their team that it felt like someone had chopped off his left arm.

"You heard from Jane yet?" he wanted to know as he leant against Korsak's desk. He pushed his hands into the pockets of his pants.

"Not since I dropped her and Doctor Isles off at the safe house," Korsak answered and looked up at the younger man. He hadn't missed the way Frost looked at Jane's empty desk. He too couldn't deny it was strange to not have her around. The last time Jane's desk had been empty this way was when Hoyt got to her for the first time and she was too hurt, too damaged, to return for some time. The sight of her empty desk was something he'd hoped he would never have to see again.

"It was kind of Martinez to offer one of their places."

"Why did he offer one of their places?" Frost wanted to know. "Doesn't Homicide have safe houses of their own?"

"Have you seen the dump they use for Homicide?" Korsak grinned as he arched an eyebrow and his comment drew a smile from Frost. "You wouldn't send your worst enemy to one of those places. The Drug Unit always had the better bunks."

"I just spoke to Ballistics but so far they've got nothing on that bullet other than it being a .338 calibre, most commonly used in military long-range sniper rifles."

Korsak leant back in his chair. "That's some serious stuff. Have you ever handled one?"

Frost shook his head. "Have you?"

"Once, many years ago. It's an interesting piece of kit. It's built for optimal levels of accuracy and fitted with a telescopic sight. Not something your average Joe can handle without proper training. The guy that told us about it had been a sniper in the Marines for twelve years." Korsak's face darkened. "He also told us that those trained to use one of these guns to the highest levels are instructed with just one message."

"What's that?"

"Don't ever miss."

"But whoever shot at Doctor Isles _did_ miss," Frost pointed out. "What does that tell us?"

"That Jane has some damn good eye sight," Korsak answered and his mind briefly flashed back to the raw sound of Jane's voice shouting at them. The sound of the gun firing still rang in his ears. "And that we're dealing with one angry shooter who missed his target."

Frost heaved a sigh and chewed the inside of his cheek. "How many guys in the mob do you know that can handle a sniper gun like that?"

"Well, probably more than we think. Some of these guys have links to the IRA and smuggle weapons from country to country. Nothing would surprise me," Korsak replied and he pointed at the crime scene photos spread out across his desk. A few had been pinned to the white board but the remainder had found their home here. The one that stood out was a shot of Mickey O'Donnell's head, the bullet wound clearly visible.

"Through and through," he said. "He wouldn't even have seen it coming."

Frost pulled the picture towards him and inspected it more closely. "CSU find the bullet?"

"It's got to be in the car," Korsak answered. He pointed at two more pictures. The first one showed the windscreen with the bullet hole and the splintered glass. The second one showed the entire car with the rest of the windows intact. "Bullet went into his head, came out but didn't hit any of the other windows. It's got to be in there somewhere."

"CSU will find it if it is," Frost replied and turned to the white board. "What's the time of death?"

"Between 3 and 5 am early this morning," Korsak answered. "Why?"

"We didn't get to that crime scene till just after eight and Jane and Doctor Isles were even later," Frost said slowly and picked up one of the pens before scribbling the times down on the part of the whiteboard not covered in crime scene shots. "Probably closer to nine o'clock. If we assume the time line is correct, the shooter will have been on that roof for, at the longest, six hours."

"Where're you going with this?"

Frost turned around, a smile across his face. "When was the last time you went six hours without food or going to the can?"

"You think he got off that roof in the meanwhile?"

"It's a long time to wait for anyone to arrive, don't you think?" Frost suggested and shrugged. "We should check the security footage in the area and see if anybody's walking around." He looked up at Korsak. "We may even be able to find out if O'Donnell drove himself to South Boston."

"I'm going to have a word with my CI," Korsak said and reached for his phone. "By now O'Donnell's death will have caused a stir in the underworld. I want to know what's happening."

"You think we should talk to Doyle?" Frost asked. "He may have an idea about who would want to kill Doctor Isles."

Korsak shook his head. "Doyle isn't going to tell us anything. I have no doubt he knows about what happened. His guys will be all over it." He began dialling a number but looked back at Frost as the younger detective moved across the room towards his desk. "We just have to make sure we find out who fired that bullet before Doyle's men do."

~()~

Jane walked out of the small bathroom and back into the living room dressed in a pair of simple grey sweatpants and a white tank top. Her wet curls cascaded down her toned shoulders and she hadn't bothered to put socks on. As she walked into the room she found Maura curled up on the couch, her head resting in the palm of her hand and her elbow balancing on the armrest. The TV was on and she looked up from the documentary she had been watching.

"Feeling better?" she asked and Jane smiled as she sat down next to her friend.

"Shouldn't I be asking you that question? You're the one that almost got shot earlier."

Maura smiled too. "I'm fine, Jane."

"Really?" Jane challenged, the protectiveness shining through in just one word. "Because a little while ago you didn't seem fine to me, Maura."

"Would you be fine if someone told you you had to leave your house because they think some mobster may come to kill you?" Maura replied. There was a hint of disapproval in her voice. "Ever since I found out Paddy Doyle was my father, I knew this day would come eventually, Jane. I just never expected it to feel like this."

"I'm sorry, Maura," Jane said softly and covered Maura's hand closest to hers with her own. Maura's hands felt warm against her cold ones. "I wish there was something I could do to change this."

"Have you heard anything?"

"No. I just texted Frost to see if there are any updates."

There was a silence and both women turned to the TV. The documentary Maura had found was about the Second World War and Jane found she was actually engaged. The footage shown was compelling and after a few minutes she pulled her legs up underneath herself, draped her arm across the back of the couch and kept her eyes glued on the TV.

Maura stole a quick sideways glance. There had been many nights where she and Jane watched TV together. If she added them to the weekends Jane spent at her house watching baseball or football it seemed that Jane was practically always watching TV at her place. But somehow this felt different and Maura knew why. It was because Jane had walked back into the living room with her gun tugged behind the waistband of her sweatpants and although her eyes were fixed on the screen, Maura could tell Jane wasn't relaxed.

"Jane?"

Maura's soft voice lured the detective out of the documentary and she looked up to find Maura's eyes resting on her.

"Yeah?"

"Do you really think they'll come back?"

Jane heard the sudden fear in Maura's voice and she felt pain well up in her own chest. She swallowed hard as she moved closer towards the doctor and took both her hands into her own. "I don't know if they will," she said as her thumbs stroked the back of Maura's hands. "But it's my job to assume that they will try again."

Maura looked down at Jane's scarred hands. The scars left behind by Hoyt were not something Jane talked about. Maura couldn't remember the last time Jane had so much as mentioned his name but she knew he was on her mind almost on a daily basis. The fact that he was dead didn't change that. Hoy's death had not taken the nightmares away and sometimes Maura would catch Jane staring at her hands in disgust and loathing. Hoyt had gotten to her in a way nobody else had done and the way that even his memory still stirred fear in her was something Jane found revolting.

She'd had one experience where someone targeted her and ended up injuring her mother instead. The knowledge that someone out there hated her enough to actually want her dead had chilled her to the bone but this was different. This wasn't about something she had done. This was about who she was, about the blood that was flowing through her veins. Today's events hadn't happened because she was the Chief Medical Examiner of Massachusetts but because she was someone's child.

"I'm scared, Jane."

Admitting her fear wasn't something Maura did often but today she did. She couldn't deny it any longer.

"I know," Jane said softly and her dark eyes met Maura's. The doctor seemed so vulnerable. Tears glistened in her eyes. Jane felt guilty even though none of the events that occurred today were her fault. Her grip on Maura's hands tightened. "They're not going to hurt you, Maura."

She tried to smile. She could tell from the fire in Jane's eyes that she meant every word she had just said. A single tear coursed down her cheek and she let it slide, unwilling to remove her hands from Jane's grip just yet. "Thank you for being here."

"Hey, that's what friends are for, right?

Maura didn't answer. Her gaze was drawn back to Jane's hands still holding hers. The feelings it created in the pit of her stomach were overwhelming. Many people would be happy to experience those kinds of feelings. They were meant to make people feel good but instead Maura only felt sad.

"Do they still hurt?" she asked suddenly.

She freed her hands from underneath Jane's and now her thumbs grazed the detective's hands. She felt the raised tissue of the scars underneath her fingers and could feel Jane tremble beneath her touch. Jane didn't like anyone touching her scars. She didn't like anyone seeing them even if they were part of who she was.

Jane shook her head, her heart suddenly thumping in her chest. "No."

"You've come a long way, Jane," Maura said softly. "You're not letting him win. Ever."

Jane suddenly averted her eyes and stared down into her lap. Her voice was soft, almost broken. The frailness of her true personality suddenly shone through her tough detective mask. The sigh that escaped her was almost inaudible but the words that followed were clear. "I couldn't have done it on my own." Dark eyes briefly looked up. "I had you."

Maura smiled. "That's what friends are for."

Jane's phone vibrated and ended the moment between them. Jane's hands slipped out of Maura's and she reached for her cell on the coffee table. Frost's name flashed across the screen and she answered.

"Hey, what have you got?"

"Not much so far. Bullet is a .338. Ballistics is still running it. CSU found the bullet that went through O'Donnell's head in the backseat of the car. They're a match so definitely the same shooter."

Jane's eyes narrowed. "So he was there all along?"

"That's what I thought but Doctor Pike put TOD between 3 and 5 am, meaning that the shooter would have been up on that roof for six hours at the longest by the time you and Doctor Isles arrived. That is a very long time for anyone to stay in one place," Frost answered.

"You think he came off that roof?"

"I do. Korsak's getting the security footage from all the surrounding buildings. It's a long shot but maybe our guy walked around a little while."

Jane rubbed the back of her neck and caught Maura looking at her. "Do we know who made the call about the body?"

"Unknown 911 call. Male. We've got the recording but dispatch didn't have a name or anything. Looks like it may have been a disposable cell. We won't be able to trace it," Frost answered. "Call came in at 7.12 am."

"Who walks around those streets in Southie at seven in the morning?" Jane wondered out loud. "That's the kind of area where everybody stays inside once darkness falls. Every kid raised in that neighbourhood knows not to go out after dark unless they want to get caught up in some mob activity." Her gaze drifted around the room before coming to a rest on the windows overlooking Jamaica Plain. "Ten bucks says the shooter and the unknown caller are one and the same."

Frost's voice dropped down to almost a whisper. "Korsak's got word on what's going down on the streets. Looks like the killing has caused quite a stir."

"I bet it did," Jane said through gritted teeth. "How much did he find out?"

"Apparently there's been a bounty on O'Donnell's head for some time but nobody had the nerve to act on it. Rumour has it that Doyle placed the bounty on O'Donnell because of a weapon's deal gone wrong. Some seem to think that O'Donnell was working with the cops and after Doyle got arrested that rumour only grew stronger."

Jane snorted. "The only way O'Donnell worked with cops was by getting in their way. He had nothing to do with Doyle's arrest. His name never even came up."

"We know that, they don't," Frost replied. The tone of his voice changed. "There's something else, Jane."

"What?" she wanted to know.

"There wasn't just a price on O'Donnell's head. Apparently there's a price on somebody else's too. Korsak's CI didn't say who. He just said that this one had been put in place to knock down Doyle once and for all."

Jane's eyes darted to Maura and found the doctor sitting up, looking back at her. The way those hazel eyes pierced into hers cut right through Jane's soul and she knew Maura had at least put part of the puzzle together. She swallowed. "I understand. Thanks, buddy."

She hung up, dropped the phone into her lap and tried her very best to appear calm and composed but her desperation shone through in her eyes.

"Jane?" Maura asked. "Tell me what he said."

"There was a bounty on O'Donnell's head," Jane said slowly and stared down at her hands. The anger and fear that settled in her stomach were overwhelming. She focused on the pressure of her gun against her waist, reassured that she would at least be able to protect Maura if something bad happened. She heaved a sigh. "Word on the street is that there wasn't just a price on O'Donnell's head though. The price on this person's head has been put there to knock down Paddy Doyle."

Maura's eyes widened. "You mean there's a price on my head?"

Jane nodded. "Yes. And the hunting season just opened. If the word is out then anybody who wants to get to Paddy Doyle now knows how."

Maura sank back into the couch and covered her face with her hands. Tears now cascaded down her cheeks and her body trembled as she sobbed. Jane quickly sat up and scooted over to her. Strong arms slipped around Maura's shoulders and she pulled her close until Maura's head rested against her chest. She kissed the doctor's hair.

Maura slowly looked up and Jane cupped the back of her neck as she pressed her forehead against hers. Her voice dropped down to a whisper. "Listen to me," she softly insisted. "No one is going to get to you without going through me first. I promise you."

Through her tears Maura said, "I wish you'd killed him, Jane. I wish you'd killed my father."

Jane ran her fingers through Maura's hair. "I know," she breathed before planting a tender kiss on Maura's cheek. "I know."

"I hate what he does to me!" Maura suddenly burst out. "I hate how he makes me feel this vulnerable, this scared. I resent every part of him that lives inside of me." Anger was blazing behind her eyes and the tears suddenly stopped. "I can't stand how he makes me feel this weak… this broken."

"Hey!" Jane cut her off and grabbed Maura's hands. "Hey, you're not broken, you hear me? Paddy Doyle may be your biological father but other than that he is nothing to you. Nothing, remember?! His genes don't make you who you are." One hand moved from Maura's hands to her chest and covered the area where her heart was beating. "This makes you who you are. You're nothing like him."

"Maybe I should be." Maura sounded bitter. "If I was then maybe we wouldn't be here."

"No!" Jane said dismissively. "That's what they want you to think, Maura. But that's not who you are."

Helplessly Maura looked around the room. She was trapped in this apartment because someone out there wanted her dead. She couldn't run because there was nowhere to run to. She had to sit here and wait, hope, that they didn't find out where she was. All because thirty-six years ago a mobster fell in love with an innocent girl and got her pregnant.

"C'mon," Jane whispered and stood up. She pulled Maura to her feet and the doctor looked up at her in confusion.

"Where're we going?"

"Bed," Jane answered with a little smile. "It's been a long day. You need some rest. Tomorrow morning we can talk about this again but right now, you need sleep."

Maura didn't protest as Jane led her through the hallway to the bedroom. One of the bedside lamps was on, casting a faint golden glow around the room. Maura looked up just in time to see Jane place her gun on the nightstand before peeling her sweatpants down her legs, revealing a pair of simple black girly boxers. She felt her cheeks redden and was suddenly glad for the darkness of the room.

She unzipped her jeans and pulled her sweater over her head before picking her pyjamas out of her bag. By the time she'd turned back round to the bed Jane was already under the covers. Maura smiled as she slipped into the bed beside her, her cold feet brushing against Jane's warm leg.

"You can keep those cold toes over there," Jane grinned.

"Okay," Maura answered with a smile.

Jane switched off the light. "Goodnight, Maura."

"Goodnight. Jane."


	5. Chapter 5

_Lyrics in this chapter: Reba McEntire - What If It's You_

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**Chapter 5**

Jane woke early the next morning. She didn't know what disrupted her peaceful sleep but suddenly her eyes snapped open and she sat bolt upright. For about ten seconds she didn't know where she was. Her eyes flashed around the room, taking in the unfamiliar interior. Morning light filtered through the partially drawn curtains, filling the room with a dull glow. It wasn't quite dawn yet but the sun was trying to break through the deck of clouds. As her gaze lingered on the window she could see the drops of rain against the glass. It was raining.

Slowly the events from the previous day came back to her. She had been moved into a safe house together with Maura because someone had attempted to kill the medical examiner. Almost as soon as that thought hit her Jane looked beside her. The instant fear she had felt slowly seeped away again when she found Maura still asleep, lying on her side and facing Jane. One hand was tucked under her pillow, the other lay on top of the sheets. Strands of golden blonde hair fell across Maura's face and Jane smiled. She looked so peaceful.

So beautiful.

The thought startled her and she furrowed her brow. It was gone almost as fast as it came and Jane blinked a couple of times, and then shook her head as if to get rid of some annoying bug whizzing around her. Her eyes fixed back on Maura and she continued to watch the doctor sleep, drawn in by how gentle and refined her features were now that she was completely relaxed and blissfully unaware of the dangers of the world.

Jane remembered their conversation from the night before. Maura had asked her about the scars on her hands. There weren't many times throughout her friendship where Maura asked about Hoyt because she knew Jane didn't like to talk about. They had a silent understanding that Jane didn't mention the nightmares but Maura knew they existed. She would always be able to tell when Jane came into work because the dark rings around her eyes would be obvious. All she ever did was just put a hand on Jane's arm. It was enough to chase the demons away for at least a little while.

She lay back down, careful not to wake Maura, and rolled onto her side. She couldn't take her eyes off Maura's sleeping form. Never before had she had the opportunity to watch the other woman this closely without Maura noticing. For the first time Jane could really study the lines of her jaw and the shape of her chin. As she let her eyes wander over Maura's cheeks she subconsciously grinned to herself as she imagined the dimples that always appeared there whenever Maura smiled. As she watched the smaller woman sleep, a lock of hair tumbled in front of Maura's face and Jane had to fight the instinct to slowly brush away. The touch would only rouse Maura from her sleep.

Endless minutes seemed to pass and Jane found herself lost in just watching Maura. It was if there had ever been anything so fascinating in her life before. Even if she tried she couldn't take her eyes off her.

Maura's eyes slowly fluttered open as the sensation of someone intensely watching her crept up on her. The light in the room was still weak and slowly the room took shape. When her eyes had fully opened she found Jane lying beside her, her head propped up on her hand and her elbow planted firmly into the mattress, the hint of a smirk lingering on her lips. Suddenly shy dark brown eyes averted, looking at anything but Maura's face.

"Hey," she said softly, scared to break the moment between them. Her voice was only a whisper.

Jane looked back up at her. "Hi." The smile on her lips grew wider. "Sorry, did I wake you?"

Maura shook her head and casually rolled onto her back. She stretched her arms over her head and as she moved the sheets fell away from her body. Jane caught a glimpse of Maura's silk pyjama top riding up along her stomach, revealing the skin beneath. It looked pure and soft with a small belly button and a faint dusting of freckles.

Jane tore her eyes away and quickly sat up. The dazzling feeling in her stomach left her with a strange kind of nausea she had never really felt before. She swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood up. She then turned around and found Maura had gotten out of bed too and was busy putting the sheets back in place. She couldn't help but smile.

"You want the first shower?" she inquired and Maura looked up to.

"Sure. Are you not having one?"

"I need coffee first," Jane replied and picked up the sweatpants she'd worn the night before and put them on over her boxers. She tied her hair back into a casual ponytail and. "Want me to make you some?"

Maura smiled. "Thank you."

"Just leave some of the hot water for me," Jane said as she walked out of the bedroom and towards the kitchen. She switched on the radio in the living room in passing and found herself pleasantly surprised when the station turned out to be playing country songs. She continued to the kitchen and looked around for the things she would need.

She opened one of the cupboards, picked up two mugs and began boiling the water for the coffee. They only had instant and it would have to do for now even though it was something she knew Maura despised. She hummed along to one of the songs playing on the radio as she put scoop of coffee powder in both mugs and began rummaging through the remaining cupboards in search of something to have as breakfast. The water had boiled by the time she found everything she needed to make pancakes and she poured the steaming liquid into the mugs before pushing them aside. She found a frying pan and put it on the stove as she began putting the ingredients for the pancakes into a bowl.

Jane had just poured the first lot of batter into the pan when she heard footsteps behind her and found Maura walking into the kitchen wearing the same jeans she wore the night before but a different sweater. This one was black and clung to her slender frame as if it had been painted onto her.

"Here," Jane said as she pushed the coffee in Maura's direction. "It's not exactly one of your coffee-porn cups but it will have to do."

"Thanks," Maura smiled over the rim of her mug and carefully sipped from the piping hot liquid. She then noticed what Jane was doing and her eyes lit up. She took a step closer and peered into the frying pan. "Are you making pancakes?!"

"Yes, yes, I am," Jane answered. "But I make round ones. Bunny shapes are Ma's thing."

Maura leant against the kitchen counter, her eyes lingering on Jane. The domestic appearance of this situation didn't escape her attention and she couldn't deny she enjoyed the idea of walking into the kitchen in the morning as Jane made breakfast and gave her coffee. In fact, she couldn't think of anything better than to walk into any room of a house and finding Jane was there.

Jane finished baking the pancakes and put them on a plate before giving one to Maura. The doctor carried it to the table and sat down. Jane joined her and for the shortest of moments she looked at Maura with an almost longing look in her eyes. How could it be so easy to do these things with her when it seemed to terrifying to do them with anybody else? She couldn't imagine herself making pancakes for Casey in the morning or sitting down together to have breakfast. She and Maura didn't even have to speak. They ate in silence but it was a comfortable silence. Words weren't needed.

They drank their coffee as heavy drops of rain slid down the glass of the kitchen window. The sound of it hammering down on the apartment roof was monotone but strangely soothing, forcing out the dark and frustrating images from the day before. The music from the living room filtered into the room and Maura listened to the song that was playing. Reba McEntire's voice filled the small kitchen.

"…_I know you're happy and I'm happy for you, but since you found each other I've been so confused. Cause I believe there's one soul on this earth that was meant for mine, I was sent here to find. What if it's you, what if our hearts were meant to be one. What'll I do, knowing that I'll never love anyone, as much as I do love you...?"_

Maura heaved a sigh as the painful truth of those words suddenly hit home. She finished her coffee and put the empty mug back down on the table. She stood up without speaking, suddenly overwhelmed by the emotions that hit her like a ton of bricks. Someone had opened the floodgates and there seemed to be no way back.

"Maura?"

Jane looked up when Maura abruptly left the table and glanced over her shoulder. Maura had gone into the living room and Jane frowned as she stood up too. She left her coffee on the side and followed her. When she reached the doorway she found the doctor standing by the window. She wasn't sure whether or not Maura wanted her to come in so she held back, letting her eyes linger on the suddenly forlorn looking figure that was Maura Isles.

After a few minutes in which Maura didn't turn around or speak Jane crossed the room. When she reached Maura and looked at her she found quiet tears cascading down her cheeks and reached out a hand to wipe them away. Maura jerked her head, avoiding her touch, and Jane's hand was left hanging in the air. Confusion filled her eyes as she studied Maura more closely.

"Maura, are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Maura said through gritted teeth. "I would just like to be alone for a minute, okay?"

"Okay," Jane answered, withdrawing her hand.

She started backing away and cast one last glance out of the window. The living room overlooked the block behind their apartment. It was another quiet road, not dissimilar to the one at the front of the building. A handful of cars parked in front of two more apartment buildings, a small grocery store that sold bread, milk and fruit, and a newsagent.

The explosive sound of glass shattering stunned them both.

Jane felt something sharp cut across her arm. The pain was instant but she didn't pay attention to it. She dropped down to her knees before falling onto her chest, her dark eyes flashing back to the now shattered window. Somehow she then managed to look at Maura. She had also dropped to her knees and was seeking sheltered underneath the window sill, her hands covering her hear and her ears. The sound of bullets being fired was deafening.

"Maura!" Jane shouted. Her voice was hoarse and raw.

She crawled across the floor until she reached the medical examiner and pulled her towards her until she could wrap both arms around her. She instinctively pushed her back down to the floor, throwing herself on top of her to shield her with her own body. More pieces of glasses rained down on them and Maura cried out. It was a primal scream; the kind of scream that escaped a person who experienced the worst kind of fear imaginable.

"Move across the floor to the couch. Go! Go! Go!"

There was a short break in the bullet fire. The silence only lasted for a few seconds. She slowly rolled away from Maura and slid herself across the wooden floor towards the couch. She turned to find Maura close behind her, fear etched across her face. Jane grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the couch. At that same moment the shooting started again and Jane felt one of the bullets whizz past her head. It left a ringing in her ears.

"Stay here!" she instructed once Maura was safely behind the couch. Her dark eyes found Maura's hazel ones and she could see the terror. She clutched Maura's hand a little tighter. "Don't move, okay? I'll be right back."

"Where are you going?" Maura whimpered and tried to hold onto Jane but the detective broke free from her grip and got onto her knees.

She crawled across the living room until she reached the hallway. Safe and out of the range of any bullets she got up, sprinted into the bedroom and grabbed her gun off the bedside table. She ran back into the living room, dropped down to the floor as she came in and slid back across the floor to Maura, who still lay on her stomach on the ground, her arms over her head.

Armed with her gun, Jane peered past the couch. All the windows in the living room had been shattered. Pieces of glass littered the floor and the furniture. She could feel the cold wind against her face and the rain was now pouring into the apartment.

"We've got to get out of here," she said as she looked back at Maura.

"What?! No!"

"Maura, they know we're here! We can't stay!"

Maura's frightened eyes looked up at Jane. "Where do we go?!"

"I don't know," Jane hissed. "But I'll think of something." She checked her gun and took a deep breath. "When I say 'go', I want you to get up, run to the front door and down the stairs as fast you can, okay? I'm going to go first and I need you to stay close, allright? I'm going to get us out of here."

Maura nodded and Jane slowly got back onto her knees. She was careful not to rise to her full figure, unsure how much vision the shooter had from outside the building. She fully expected to run into him once theta tried to leave the apartment and she wasn't sure how much chance they stood against his gun.

She looked around. The devastation was enormous. The walls had been blasted to pieces. The picture frames had fallen down. This was no sniper rifle. This was the damage done by a machine gun. The pattern the bullets had cut into the plaster was unmistakable.

"Ready?" Jane whispered as she looked back at Maura and the medical examiner got onto her knees. "Go!"

They both sprinted across the damaged apartment to the front door, Jane first. She unlocked and opened it and went ahead. She checked the staircase as they went down, her gun drawn and her index finger on the trigger. Their footsteps echoed off the bare walls as they made their way down. For the first time in her life Jane found silence frightening.

They reached the main entry to the building and Jane used her left hand to open the door whilst still clutching her gun with her right. Almost immediately the rain hit her in the face and the cold wind whispered around her face. She tentatively stepped outside, looking both left and right. The streets were empty. Her eyes fixed on a car parked across the road and she turned to look at Maura who had just stepped outside too. Strands of her hair were already plastered across her forehead as the rain continued to pound down on them.

"Jane, we don't have a car!" Maura said when Jane grabbed her arm and began dragging her across the street.

"Then we'll take one!" Jane said as she pointed at the Ford Focus parked in one of the bays.

"We can't do that!" Maura objected and attempted to pull her back. "Jane, you can't steal a car!"

"I'll arrest myself later!" Jane said and without looking at Maura she rammed her elbow into the car window. "Do you want to get out of here or not?!"

The glass shattered and she quickly wiped the remaining shards away. She reached inside and unlocked the door. She then opened it, wiped the glass off the chair and out of the car and got into the driver's seat. Her knees jammed against the dashboard and she bit back a frustrated groan before readjusting the seat so she had room to move. She leant over and unlocked the door for Maura. The doctor seemed hesitant to get in but when Jane gave her one dark glare, she circled the vehicle and got in.

"Now what?" Maura hissed. "You don't have a key, remember?"

"I don't need one," Jane grinned and gave a firm tug at the access cover under the steering wheel. It came off without too much effort and she dropped it in Maura's lap.

"Jane!" Maura breathed. "What are you doing?!"

"Hot wiring a car."

Maura's eyes widened. "You know how to do that?"

"I'm a cop, Maura. Of course I know how to do it. The whole point about catching bad guys is to know what they know." She gave the doctor a sly grin. Maura seemed stunned and Jane's smile grew wider. "Besides, Tommy's my brother. Most kids on our street new how to hotwire a car before they were allowed to even drive one."

Jane stuck her hands into the compartment and pulled out the wires she was looking for. It had been a long time since she had lost done this. In fact, it had been well over ten years. She'd done it when her first partner lost the keys to their squad car. She'd gained entry to the car the same way she did today by breaking the window and messing with the wires.

"Finally something Tommy taught me that is actually useful," she said as she carefully pulled two red wires out. She glanced sideways at Maura. "You ready?"

She peeled some of the insulation from both wires and twisted them tightly together. She then pulled out a third wire, brown in colour, and peeled the protective layer on that one back too. Now that the end was revealed she pressed the brown wire against the two red ones that were tied together and a few seconds later came the sound of the car engine kicking in.

Jane put her foot down, revved the engine and then put the car into gear. Without giving Maura a single warning, she drove off at full speed and the doctor was slammed back into the seat before scrambling to find her seatbelt. When she clicked it in place she looked at Jane and only then noticed the dark red liquid dripping slowly into the detective's lap.

"Jane?" she said softly and reached out a hand. "Jane, you're hurt."

"I'm fine," Jane said but her gaze dropped down into her lap anyway. The blood came from her arm. "We haven't got time for this now. Do you have your phone?"

Maura reached into her pocket. "Yeah. Have you got yours?"

Jane shook her head. "It's still in the kitchen."

Maura began scrolling through her contact details in an attempt to find a person to call and let them know what had happened. "I'll call Korsak and tell him to meet us."

Jane's eyes flashed to the rear view mirror and her heart started beating a little faster when she noticed the black sedan appearing from a side road. It sped up and was closing in on their tail.

"Forget it," she said as she suddenly turned right. Maura was slammed into her window and looked up, startled. Jane's face was a strained mask of anger and she pointed over her shoulder. "We've got bigger problems on our hands."


	6. Chapter 6

**Note:** Thank you all for your awesome reviews! They make my day!

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**Chapter 6**

Maura looked over her shoulder and noticed the car behind them. Through the rain she couldn't make out the face of the person driving or the passenger but she saw the outlines of their shape behind the glass. The shooters were speeding almost as fast as they were and her heart pounded in her throat. Wind and rain swept into the car through the broken window, the cold drops hitting her in the face every few seconds. Her eyes darted back to Jane.

The detective's hands were wrapped tightly around the wheel, her knuckles white. Jane's face was a mask of focus and attention as she manoeuvred the car through Boston's still quiet streets. Tired shrieked as she ran a red light and avoided an oncoming cab. The force with which she threw the wheel the other way slammed Maura back into her seat and her belt cut across her chest.

"What do they want?!" Maura shouted. She struggled to raise her voice over the sound of the engine.

Jane glanced at the medical examiner. "You!"

"But how did they know where we were?!" Maura wondered out loud.

"Clearly we've got a leak somewhere inside BPD," Jane said and her eyes darkened. For a brief moment she flashed back to the moment she found out a cop had been responsible for the siege on BPD years earlier. The siege that almost got her and Frankie killed. She had no time for dirty cops. She hated them and didn't understand how someone could betray everything they stood for.

"Someone on the inside works for the mob and must have told them where you were."

"What are we going to do?"

"We're going to get the hell out of here."

Maura's eyes snapped up and looked at Jane. They took another sharp left hand turn but this time she was more prepared and braced herself. "Shouldn't we go back to BPD?"

"We can't go back to BPD, Maura. If there's someone on the inside they'll just call their little mob friends the minute we walk through the door."

Jane checked her rear view mirror. The car behind them had fallen slightly back and she took this as a sign to put her foot down even more. The car sped up, now driving so fast that she struggled to keep it under control.

Maura heaved a sigh and ran her hands through her hair. The adrenaline pumped through her veins at rapid speed. "So where are we going?"

"I don't know," Jane confessed. "But I'll think of something." She noticed the car behind them closing in and she looked at Maura. "Hold on."

She threw the wheel to the right and the car spun around. She kept turning it, never taking her eyes off the road. There was traffic coming from all directions and she only had one chance to get this right. Her heart pounded in her chest as she felt the car skid. She could smell the burning rubber and a faint plume of smoke circled up into the air. The road surface underneath the vehicle was wet, making her attempt to escape even more difficult.

At the last second she grabbed the wheel again and forced it back into its normal position. The car had done a full turn around and was now facing the other way. From behind them a bus and a transit van approached and Jane's lips curled up into a smile as she hit the gas again. The car that had been following them was forced to carry on, unable to find a space in traffic to turn like she did. She made sure to look up and try to identify the driver as they went past. It happened so fast and she only caught a glimpse of dark hair.

Maura lifted her head up from her hands. She felt sick and the colour had drained from her face. The palms of her hands were sweaty and she was trembling.

"What the hell, Jane?"

"I've got an idea," Jane said as she slowly cut her way through the traffic. As she checked her mirror she noticed the car was gone. She then looked at Maura and saw the terror in her eyes. She reached out her right hand and placed it on Maura's knee. "I'm sorry, Maur. I had to get rid of him."

Maura nodded. "Get to the Interstate," she said, her voice still shaky. "I know a place we can go." Their eyes connected. "Somewhere safe."

"Where?"

"My parents have a place in Cape Cod."

Jane couldn't help but smile. "Of course they do."

"It's a summer house. It's been a while since I've last been now that mother spends most of her time in Europe. But she tries to go back at least once a year. She says it gives her great inspiration for her art."

"Maura, Cape Cod is a decent drive away. In this morning's traffic it's going to take the best part of an hour and a half."

Maura gave Jane a knowing look. "Look, Jane, not many people know about that place. You didn't know about it until I just mentioned it to you. They're not going to look for us there, are they?"

Jane couldn't argue with her best friend's logic. She found the easiest and quickest way through Boston towards the Interstate and joined the start of that morning's rush hour traffic. Every few minutes she would check the rear view mirror but she never saw the car again. Still it took over twenty minutes for her to relax enough that her grip on the steering wheel loosened.

The rain finally eased off when they were about half way. Jane's clothes were soaked and were clinging to her frame. For the first half of their journey the water had continued to come through the broken window. Her sweats were soggy and heavy. The water had made the blood stains in her clothes look worse than they were but now that the adrenaline wore off Jane became aware of the dull ache in her arm.

The wind was still bitter cold and with her wet clothes Jane could feel the chill. She had no way of protecting herself. Strands of damp hair fell into her eyes and she kept brushing them away, every stroke of her hand a little more ferocious than the one before.

They didn't talk much. Jane couldn't think of anything to say and every so often when she looked beside her Maura was staring out of the window. The world outside flashed by. The closer they came to Cape Cod, the quieter the roads became.

Jane had never been to Cape Cod. She knew it from the TV adverts and postcards but she had never seen it for herself. Her family trips to the seaside when she was younger were to Massachusetts Bay. As they crossed Sagamore Bridge across the canal, connecting the mainland to Cape Cod, Jane got to see first-hand how beautiful this small part of the country really was. Now that the morning sun had managed to climb over the horizon it created a stunning vision of golden light dancing across the river.

"You know where you're going?" she asked Maura after they had crossed the bridge and she nodded.

Following Maura's directions they drove into a small town. Jane could smell the fresh sea air through the broken window. It was as if she could smell the holidays from her childhood all over again. They left the town behind them and drove up a small, narrow lane that seemed to have no end. As they drove Jane noticed the large, expensive houses behind automatic gates. This was the image of Cape Cod that she had these days. A place where people had their second home and spent the summer.

"The next one your right," Maura said softly when they had passed yet another stunning looking house. "It's the one at the end of the road."

They reached the high metal gates and Maura leant in towards Jane to give her the code for the keypad. Jane pressed the digits seven, five, three, eight and with a soft buzzing sound the gates swung open, revealing a neatly paved driveway that turned left at the end. The lawns were neatly cut and the flowerbeds still looked colourful and bright even at this time of year.

When Jane turned left a soft gasp escaped her. The house that appeared at the end of the drive was perhaps the most beautiful one of all. A relatively new looking house built in colonial style; the bricks were pure white and the roof black. Endless rows of windows overlooked the drive and the green lawns and she suspected the ones on the first and second floor overlooked the Bay.

She parked the car at the side of the house, out of sight, and followed Maura as she walked to the front door. She arched an eyebrow when she saw Maura reach behind the outside light. A triumphant smile graced Maura's face when she showed Jane the front door key.

"Really?" she asked

Maura shrugged. "Why not?"

She stuck the key into the lock and the door opened. They stepped into the hallway and Jane's eyes drifted around. Large, with a high ceiling and solid wooden floors, the hallway only gave a glimpse of what was still to come. The walls were painted in a warm shade of cream. A large staircase led to the second floor but Jane followed Maura through the hallway and into an enormous kitchen.

She whistled through her teeth. The white polished unit and the black marble top looked expensive. There were more cupboards and drawers than Jane thought could ever fit into a kitchen. The wooden floor continued in here and the kitchen extended into a dining room, with a table big enough to sit ten people. As she had expected the windows overlooked back garden, with lawns as neatly kept as the one at the front. The garden just seemed to disappear and Jane felt her heart rate quicken she saw the ocean.

"Maura, this place is beautiful," she said softly.

Maura looked at the detective. Jane's shirt and sweats were covered in blood. Now that Jane stood in the middle of the kitchen she finally got a chance to search for the source of the bleeding and noticed the long, jagged cut across Jane's forearm. It had stopped bleeding a little while ago. Maura couldn't help but let her eyes linger on Jane's muscular shoulders and the rest of her slender frame. The fabric of her clothes clung to her body so perfectly. Her curls fell down her back like an endless black waterfall.

"Should we call Korsak and Frost?" Maura said, breaking the spell. She reached into her pocket and gave Jane her phone. Their fingers brushed against each other and Maura felt the sudden shock of electricity shoot through her body. She pulled back, looking a little startled and her eyes briefly found Jane's.

Jane tried to smile but she felt the warm sensation creep up along her arm. It had started in her fingers but was mow travelling further along her body. She averted her eyes and scrolled through Maura's contacts before finding Korsak. She pressed the 'dial' button and waited.

"Sargent Korsak."

"Vince, it's me."

"Jane! I was just about to call you."

Jane's breath hitched. "You don't know, do you?"

"Know what?"

"They found us, Vince."

"WHAT?!"

Jane ran her hand through her messy hair and unexpected tears welled up in her eyes as the events from that morning flashed through her mind.

"They had a gun. They… they shot through the window, wrecked the apartment," she answered. Her heart hammered in the back of her throat. Her eyes narrowed as she tried to remember the details. "They found us."

"My God," Korsak answered and Jane could hear the soft thud as he fell into his chair. "But how? We were so careful!"

"We've got a rat."

"Jane…"

"I don't like it either, Vince," she said. She sounded bitter. A ball of nausea tangled in her gut. Her eyes drifted across the kitchen and came to a rest at the window. She watched how the waves slowly rolled to shore. "Someone inside BPD found out where Maura and I were staying and told them. It's the only way they could have known we were in Jamaica Plain."

"Apart from me, only three other people knew about this. Frost, Martinez and Cavanaugh."

"You think Martinez would have told anyone in his own squad?"

"Jane, you can't possibly think…"

"I don't know what I think," she interrupted him and she finally looked back at Maura. She leant against the kitchen counter, her hands pushed into her pockets and her eyes fixed on Jane. "All I know is that I had to fight to get Maura and myself out of there. Someone tried to kill both of us this morning." She swallowed hard. The lump in her throat didn't shift. "They're trying to get to us. They're trying to get to all of us."

"Are you allright?" He said it in a way a father checked on his child. Korsak's voice was soft and warm. "Jane, are you or Doctor Isles hurt?"

"No, we're fine," Jane answered. The tremor in her voice was undeniable. Her grip on the phone tightened as the wave of emotions crashed into her. "We're safe."

"As long as you're safe, everything's going to be allright," Korsak answered. "Don't tell me where you are in case they're listening. Get rid of this phone. Try and get a disposable cell from here on. You know the drill, right?"

She nodded. "I know."

"Okay." There was a pause. "Take care of yourself. We're doing everything we can here but this throws a spanner in the works. I don't know who we can trust anymore."

"Remember what we did when we first found out Maura was Doyle's daughter? We kept a lid on it. We didn't talk to anyone outside the unit." She chewed the inside of her cheek. "We haven't got a choice."

"I'll talk to Frost," Korsak answered. "You want me to talk to Frankie and your mother?"

Jane's eyes fluttered shut. "Just keep an eye on them. Frankie will tell you he can look after himself and Ma's going to freak. Maybe send a patrol car past her cousin's house a few times during the night or something. I don't want her worried."

"I'll see what I can do. Hang in there, Jane."

The connection was broken and Jane turned the phone over. She removed the battery and dropped the phone itself on the ground before planting her foot on it. It shattered under her weight and she slowly looked up at Maura. Their gazes locked and Maura slowly stepped forward.

"Let me look at this," she said softly and took Jane's arm.

Her fingers were warm against Jane's cold skin and she slowly turned the detective's arm around so she could look at the wound. She carefully pressed down around the edges and searched Jane's face for any hints of pain. She flinched a little but didn't seem to be in a great deal of discomfort. She looked back at the cut .

"I'll need to clean this," she stated and turned around. She opened one of the cupboards behind her and pulled out a first aid box. She opened it and took one of the wipes. She carefully ripped the packaging and the scent of pure alcohol filled both their noses. "It may sting a little."

Jane let Maura clean her wound. She watched as the doctor's slender fingers moved across her arm, drawing meaningless shapes as she did what she did best. The touch of her hand was soft and warm and erased the cold that had somehow seeped into Jane's bones. The burning sting of the alcohol seemed to be softened by the fact that Maura was the one doing it and Jane relaxed. Her eyes wandered down along the doctor's neckline and lingered a little too long on the soft skin of cleavage that showed. Jane felt the blush creep across her cheeks as in her chest her heart did an unexpected summersault.

"You should shower," Maura said softly when she put the wipes down and looked up to meet Jane's eyes. "You're wet and freezing cold."

She took hold of the detective's hand and led her back to the hall. She started up the stairs and Jane followed without asking questions. She knew they had to talk about what happened earlier that morning but she also understood that this was Maura's way of processing things in her mind. She would have to give the doctor some space before bringing up the subject of the shooter so for now she went along with it.

They reached the first floor and Jane counted five bedrooms by the time Maura had led her to the bathroom. She opened the door and turned around in the doorway. Jane was closely behind her and they bumped into each other. Instantly their gazes were drawn to each other and Jane saw how bright Maura's hazel eyes were.

"There are towels in the cupboard," Maura said as she pointed at the white wooden unit on the other side of the bathroom. She stepped out of the room, her body brushing against Jane's, but did not break the eye contact. Her heart was racing so fast she felt it was about to explode out of her chest. "I'll find you some clothes."

Jane didn't answer. She didn't know what to say. Instead she stepped into the bathroom, closed the door behind her and locked it. She turned to the mirror and stared at her own reflection. The blood stains made her look like she had walked straight out of a horror movie and she suddenly felt the urge to strip off. She peeled the bloodied clothes away from her skin and left them on a pile on the floor. She then stepped into the large shower cubicle and switched on the water. It rained down on her, warm and soothing, and Jane's eyes fluttered shut.

Across the landing Maura had walked into one of the bedrooms and opened one of the wardrobes. She searched through the items of clothing left behind in the house in an attempt to find something that would fit Jane. She eventually settled for a pair of simple black trousers and a sweater. She had just put them on the bed when she felt someone watching her. She spun around and found Jane standing in the bedroom doorway, a towel wrapped around her body. Dark eyes found hazel ones.

"We need to talk."


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Maura stared at Jane. The look on detective's face was earnest. Jane's eyes searched Maura's face, effortlessly discovering the weariness she tried so hard to hide. Maura's breath hitched as she nervously held Jane's gaze. That piercing gaze was something she couldn't avoid, no matter how hard she tried. Jane saw through her like she was nothing more than a piece of glass. There was nowhere left to hide.

She lifted up her chin in an attempt to feign some confidence. "What do we need to talk about?"

Jane watched Maura the entire time, leaning against the doorframe of the bedroom. She saw the storm of emotions flickering behind Maura's eyes. "You don't think we need to talk about what happened this morning?"

Maura averted her eyes, unable to bear Jane's gaze any longer. Every cell inside her body screamed for Jane but at the same time they all fell apart. She wanted to come closer, hold her, tell her how scared she was, but she couldn't. Not after everything that had happened.

"I don't _want_ to talk about it." Her voice was soft and broken.

Jane heaved a sigh and stepped into bedroom. She had forgotten about the fact she only wore a towel and drops of water still slid down her bare shoulders. Her eyes were only fixed on Maura and she noticed how Maura took a step away from her, almost as if to withdraw herself. Jane's voice was soft but insistent. "Those men came to kill you, Maura."

Maura turned away. She knew why they had come. She knew what they wanted. They had been sent by one of her father's enemies to silence him. The Boston underworld feared what Paddy Doyle would say if he decided to speak in open court. The only way to achieve that was by killing the person he had fought to protect for so long. There was nothing in this world that Paddy Doyle loved more than his family, in his own messed up way, and getting to them would guarantee his silence. Maura knew that. She had known it since the day she found out who her father was.

Jane watched how Maura's shoulders dropped. It was as if the weight of the world rested on her friend's shoulders. A wave of desperation washed over Jane and she crossed the room before taking Maura's hand into her own. To her surprise Maura's skin felt cold and Maura turned her head away, closing her eyes as if to fight back tears.

"Maura, why don't you want to talk about this?"

There was emptiness in Maura's eyes when she opened them again; a hollow and sad look that ripped Jane's heart out of her chest. The doctor's breath caught and shuddered when she felt Jane's thumb press against the back of her hand. A touch that was so comforting at most times seemed to hurt her now more than she had ever been hurt before. Her heart ached as she carefully pulled herself free, leaving Jane empty-handed and herself heartbroken.

Maura knew why she didn't want to talk about. Because the hitmen hadn't just tried to kill her, they had also tried to kill Jane. To the men chasing them Jane was just collateral damage but to Maura it was unacceptable that Jane had been dragged into this. It was why she had gone to Cape Cod, in the hope that nobody would find them. Her parents' summer house was unknown to even most of their closest friends, a safe haven to get away from a high society lifestyle. It was why she had come here. Only this way could she try to keep Jane safe. She knew Jane was trying to protect her but it was really the other way around.

"I don't want to give them that kind of power over me," she said without looking Jane in the eye. "I don't want them thinking they've won."

"I know," Jane said and she briefly looked out of the nearest window. The sky was grey and thick rainclouds were drifting in across the ocean. Somewhat frightening, it seemed like it had been ripped right out of a movie. She looked back at the doctor and saw the deflated look on her best friend's face. "Maura, I'm so sorry."

"No," Maura said, her voice stronger but nevertheless filled with sadness. "I am the one who should be sorry."

"What? Why?"

Maura unexpectedly grabbed Jane's forearm, turning it around and pointing at the deep cut that desecrated Jane' s skin. "You could have died when they shot at us, Jane!"

"Maura…"

She shook her head and tears burnt behind her eyes. "This happened because of me, Jane, because of what I am!"

Jane moved closer but was careful not to touch Maura. She knew better than anyone that the doctor wasn't the kind of person who wanted to be touched when she was upset. They were only inches apart and even after everything that happened, Jane could still smell the faint hint of shampoo on Maura's hair.

"Maura, this isn't your fault," she said.

"Isn't it?" Maura retorted, her voice bitter. Her eyes darkened as the anger settled in the pit of her stomach. She didn't accept Jane's reasoning that this wasn't her fault when she knew it was. "Because I think we both know that it is." Her eyes snapped up, meeting Jane's. "I got you into this, Jane."

"Oh Maura," Jane said softly. "Maura, this didn't happen because of you."

Maura shook her head. She casually waved her hand at the clothes on the bed. "You should get dressed."

She couldn't be in this room any longer. She couldn't be around Jane. Not after this morning, not after all of this. She ached inside. She hurt in a way she had never hurt before. She was in so much pain that it made her feel sick and she stepped away from the dark haired woman, a cold and distant look slowly filling her eyes. She had been strong for so long. She couldn't keep up this façade for much longer. She couldn't look at Jane and pretend that what she felt inside wasn't real. That was asking too much.

Jane caught hold of her elbow as she left the room but she shook her off. As she turned around her hair fell into her eyes and she didn't look at the other woman. She heard Jane's voice but it barely registered.

"Maura, listen to me…"

"No."

She kept her voice low and soft. If she didn't, she knew it would break.

"You know I am not going to let this go, don't you?" The detective inside Jane emerges and she takes in the sight of the broken woman standing in front of her. Slowly the Maura she knew is being replaced by a ghost. "You know I won't be able to let this go."

"Jane, please… just…leave it," Maura pleaded, her voice cracking. She could barely hold on any longer.

She walked away from the bedroom, leaving Jane standing by the window, dark eyes unexpectedly swimming with tears. All that remains is a silence that is so deafening Jane can't even feel her own heartbeat. She watches as Maura disappears across the landing, the sound of her footsteps slowly dying out as she makes her way down the stairs. She sinks down onto the bed, the sheets soft and crisp against her bare legs, and stared down at her scarred hands. It felt as if suddenly something had been ripped away from her, taken away from her world. Something had changed.

~()~

Going back to the crime scene felt strangely uncomfortable. Frost and Korsak were surrounded by CSU's that were busy setting up their gear for the reconstruction. Two cardboard figures representing Jane and Maura had been placed in the exact same spot where they stood two days earlier. Various laser pointers had been put in strategic places to provide them with the exact angle of the shooter and Korsak checked his watch. When he caught a flickering of light on top of the building from where the gun had been fired he raised his hands and the CSU's turned on the laser pointers.

Several red lines now lit up the quiet street in South Boston and Korsak and Frost shared a look.

"This doesn't look right," Frost said as he pointed at the two cardboard figures standing by the car. The laser light was interrupted and didn't even come near the wall. "If the shot came from over there then it could never have hit over here." He pointed at the obvious bullet hole in the wall, a couple of feet away from the cardboard cut-out representing Maura. "Something's off."

Korsak creased his brow and his eyes narrowed. "Unless…."

He picked up the laser pointer that was attached to the figure and moved it to the second shape, the one that represented Jane. He carefully attached it to the forehead and stepped back. The red line was now carrying on without being interrupted, reaching all the way from the shooter on the roof to the hole in the wall. His heart sank as she slowly turned around to Frost.

"We've got a problem," he said slowly. "That shot wasn't aimed at Doctor Isles. It was aimed at Jane."

~()~

Maura walked through the kitchen and opened the large double doors that led to the garden. She stepped out onto the grass and instantly felt the cold wind whip around her face. It pulled at her hair as she walked across the garden towards the hedge. A small wooden gate opened up to stone steps that led to the beach below. She left it open in her wake as she made her way down. The sound of the waves rolling in was comforting and soothing, slowly erasing the worst of her pain.

When she reached the bed she inhaled the salty sea air. It filled her lungs and for a moment she was eight years old again, standing at this very spot, her hand held tightly by her mother. It was one of the rare moments where Constance hadn't been completely focused on her art but had found a moment to just share something so beautiful as a beach and the ocean with her daughter. Maura would never be able to forget how happy she had felt in that moment.

Her eyes fluttered shut as she slowly walked along the shoreline, her arms wrapped tightly around herself and the wind in her hair. It was quiet. Not even the sound of a seagull interrupted the blissful sound of the waves. There wasn't a single soul out on this beach at this time of day. The weather kept people inside. In the distance the thunderclouds came rolling in.

When she felt the hand on her shoulder she spun around so fast she almost lost her balance. Strong arms caught her, pulling her back onto her feet. After a few seconds she recognised the outlines of a familiar face. Dark ringlets fell across Jane's eyes, dancing to the inaudible songs of the wind, and her dark eyes scanned Maura's face. She saw the fear slowly subside as the doctor recognised her. Her hands were still on Maura's hips and for that everlasting moment she lost herself completely.

"Jane."

The resentment with which she spoke earlier was gone. All there was now was the relief that Jane was still here, that she hadn't left her.

"I saw you come out here," Jane smiled and looked around. They were a few feet from the water and above their heads the sky was getting darker. Soon the storm would hit and she had no doubt that it would be a fierce one. She looked back at Maura to find the doctor still staring at her, her hazel eyes brighter than ever before. "I'm sorry, Maur. I didn't mean to scare you."

"I should be the one apologising," Maura said softly. Suddenly she became aware of Jane's hands still resting on her hips. Neither of them had dared to move, afraid to break whatever had brought them here. "I shouldn't have spoken to you the way I did. I'm sorry."

Jane smiled. "I think I can forgive you this time," she said, her voice suddenly husky. Through heavy lidded eyes she surveyed Maura's face. The glint in her eyes had returned. She cocked her head a little. "Did you come here as a child?"

Maura nodded. "It's one of the few places I ever remember being happy."

Jane didn't answer. She knew how lonely Maura's childhood had been. She had been an only child without friends, surrounded by adults too focused on their careers and sent off to boarding school. The longing for friendship, to be part of something, still existed, even if Maura didn't always quite know how to express that. She wanted to take some of that loneliness away, to make Maura feel hat she wasn't alone anymore. As she looked across the beach she imagined a young Maura watching the waves as they rolled onto the sand, fascinated and intrigued.

"It's beautiful here."

The words rolled off Jane's lips as her eyes still lingered on Maura.

"Yes it is," Maura answered as she watched another wave roll onto the beach.

She noticed how Jane's grip on her hips tightened and she slowly tore her eyes away from the ocean and up to her best friend. When she caught the dark brown eyes still looking at her, her breath caught in the back of her throat. She knew, could just tell, that Jane was trying to fit the pieces together. Her heart was beating so fast that it felt like it was about to burst out of her chest. It was at that moment that Jane's grip eased a little but Maura suddenly felt Jane's thumbs graze across the warm skin of her stomach. Somehow Jane's hands had found the hem of her sweater. A shudder crept down Maura's spine.

Jane looked at Maura, really looked at her. For the first time she really noticed the way her lips moved just before she smiled and the way that the light reflected in her eyes. Somehow her hands had found their own way across Maura's stomach without her brain even registering what she was doing. The touch was soft and gentle and felt so natural. The feeling of Maura's warm skin against her hands caused something Jane couldn't quite explain.

"Please don't say it," Maura whispered when Jane opened her mouth to speak. Tears glistened in her eyes. "Please, Jane."

"I…"Jane's voice died out, carried away by the wind. "Maura…"

"I know."

She knew Jane didn't feel the way she did. She had always known. Nothing would ever be different. Things were never going to change. She had seen the way Jane acted when Casey was around. As much as it hurt, she could see how he brought the kind of smile to her face that Maura had never been able to. Casey was the one who had found the key to Jane's heart and as horrific as it was to have to watch her best friend fall in love with someone else, she knew that it was the only way she would still be able to have Jane in her life. She'd rather have her as a friend and suffer then not have her at all.

Jane swallowed hard. The lump in the back of her throat didn't shift. She couldn't take her eyes off Maura. Their gazes had locked in a way they had never done before. She recognised the feelings inside herself. It was like someone had opened up a corner of her heart and let out all the things she had never dared to think about before. Could it be possible? Could it be real?

Carefully she rested her forehead against Maura's and her eyes fell shut.

"I love you."

Maura stepped away from Jane unexpectedly and the detective's eyes snapped back open. Immediately their eyes found each other again and Maura stared at Jane, fear etched across her face.

"What did you just say?" she whispered, wondering if somehow her brain had tricked her into something she so desperately wanted to be real. "Jane, _what _did you just say?"

"I love you."

"But…," Maura's voice trembled. "Jane… You… and Casey… I mean…"

Jane stepped closer to Maura and took her hands into her own. "I didn't know," she whispered, her dark brown eyes suddenly reflecting everything she felt inside. "I just know that when I saw you walk out of that room I felt that…" Her voice broke as she remembered how lost she had suddenly felt. "I didn't want to lose you. I don't _ever _want to lose you.""

Somehow they had found each other. In the midst of all the chaos, they had found their moment. It was here, right in front of them.

Maura tentatively let her hand slide up along Jane's arm before cupping her cheek. The world had come to a stop. Time had frozen. There was only them, nothing else. She leant in until her lips were only an inch from Jane's. They both breathed in the silence, realising there would be no way back from this. The words that had been spoken could never be erased. It was only when Jane closed the distance between them and carefully pressed her lips against Maura's that Maura's eyes fell shut and her arms slid around the detective's neck.

When they broke apart Maura's eyes found Jane's and smiled. "I love you too."


	8. Chapter 8

**Note:** Guys, sorry for the delay but my life somehow headed into the direction of crazy town recently. Anyway, today I managed to write this update and I hope ya'll like it. I am about to go on holiday for two weeks so I probably won't get a chance to update before that or while I am away. So you're going to have to bear with me for a little while. Enjoy.

**Note 2**: Also, if you feel like it, check out my new Rizzles story "Saving Jane." It can be found on my profile.

* * *

**Chapter 8**

It was dark when she woke up. Silver moonlight fell through the open curtains in the bedroom. It was just bright enough to light up the furniture in the room and Jane recognised the shapes of the wardrobe, the chair and the mirror on the wall. Slowly she became aware of the warm body lying beside her and she turned her head. The sight of Maura asleep, the moonlight dancing across her hair, took her breath away.

The images that led up to this moment slowly flooded back into Jane's mind. They had kissed on the beach until the rainclouds drove them inside. By then their clothes were drenched. She felt the goose bumps across her skin as she remembered Maura's cold, shaking fingers as they slowly peeled away the wet sweater from Jane's skin. Somehow their hands had known where to go, what to do, as they stared at each other, both unable to break the magical eye contact.

It had been Maura who led Jane up the stairs and into one of the bedrooms. By the time their bodies landed on the soft sheets they had only worn underwear, their skin warm and aglow. Jane had let her fingers run through Maura's hair as she kissed her, praying silently that this moment would never end. Maura had looked up to her, her hazel eyes suddenly dark with lust. She'd whispered the words "I love you" over and over until Jane kissed them away from her lips. What followed next was an experience Jane knew she would never be able to forget.

Jane watched Maura sleep. She lay on her side facing Jane. Strands of golden hair fell across her face. Her head rested on her arm and her naked body was partly covered by the sheets. The soft skin of her shoulder was exposed and Jane leant in, kissing it gently. She wanted to kiss every inch of Maura's body until the day she died. She wanted to know every freckle, every scar so she could always carry her image in her head.

Maura didn't move as Jane's warm lips brushed against her skin. Her breathing was deep and even, telling Jane that she was deeply asleep. A slight smile spread across Jane's lips as she carefully pushed the sheets away from herself and slipped out of the bed. Her feet made contact with the plush carpet floor, sinking in almost half an inch, as she circled the bed.

She walked into one of the other bedrooms and opened the wardrobe. She found a pair of jeans that were a size too big and fell loosely around her legs. She zipped them up before looking for a sweater or long sleeved t-shirt. She chose a baby blue coloured off shoulder t-shirt that was also a size too big. Once she was dressed she walked back to the bedroom where Maura was still asleep and leant against the doorframe.

"I don't know what I did to deserve you but I promise I will try and be the best that I can be for you," Jane whispered softly before turning around and making her way down the stairs.

Along the way she encountered the still damp items of clothing she and Maura and taken off earlier that evening and collected them into her arms. When she reached the kitchen she found the small washing area at the back of it and put all the clothes into the washing machine. She switched it on and the familiar humming sound of the machine kicked in. Jane then walked back into the kitchen and she glanced at the clock on the wall. It was half past ten at night.

Her stomach growled unexpectedly. She and Maura hadn't eaten anything since leaving the apartment.

Jane opened one of the cupboards to find it was stocked with various tins and boxes. She continued her exploration of the kitchen by opening every other cupboard and the fridge as well as the freezer before eventually settling for bread and cheese. She switched on the grill as she prepared her cheese sandwiches and poured herself a glass of orange juice.

When her grilled cheese sandwich was done and the kitchen smelt like burnt toast, Jane opened the patio doors that led to the garden and stepped out into the cool evening air. She eagerly took a deep breath and her eyes fluttered shut as the strong sea wind pulled at her hair. For a moment it felt like she had walked into her idea of heaven and she didn't want this to end.

The thought was unexpected and Jane's eyes snapped back open. Confused, she looked back over her shoulder. The house was covered in darkness other than the kitchen, which was brightly lit. Did she really just wish that she could stay here forever and live this kind of life?

She had never been the type to consider settling down. When Casey had first mentioned the thought of living together, she'd freaked out. She didn't need or want someone who changed her kitchen cupboards around, threw away her marmite jar or did one big weekly shop. She liked her own space and the way she chose to live her life. She'd never considered the possibility that one day she would actually feel different about that but as she looked at the kitchen bathing in golden light, Jane came to the startling conclusion that suddenly that life was all she wanted.

The sound of quiet footsteps snapped her out of her musings and she looked up to find Maura walk into the kitchen dressed only a t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants, her long hair draped over one shoulder. Her hazel eyes lit up when she discovered Jane standing in the garden and she stepped out into the garden.

"Hi," she said with a shy little smile.

Jane felt her cheeks turn an instant shade of red. "Hey," she smiled and pointed at her grilled cheese. "You hungry?"

Maura took half of the sandwich Jane offered her and took a small bite. She looked out over the garden. In the light of the moon it looked mysterious, like it had been ripped out of a fairy-tale. The sound of the waves rolling onto the beach was soothing and magical.

"It smells like rain," Jane mused.

"You can't smell water, Jane," Maura pointed out. "It's probably just the ozone from the lightning."

Jane glanced at the woman standing beside her, amusement flickering in her dark eyes. Maura's face was deadly serious. She hadn't expected anything less.

"No, it smells like _rain_. You know, a little bit cold, sort of crisp and wet. It's just, well, rain-smelling."

Maura gave Jane a puzzled look and quirked an eyebrow. "Really?"

Jane burst out laughing. "I thought that was my line?"

Maura didn't answer and instead stared back out into the garden. They each ate their half of the grilled cheese sandwich and Jane gave Maura half of the orange juice too. Their fingers touched as the doctor took the glass from her hand and almost immediately Jane felt her body tingle. Her eyes connected with Maura's and she could see the questions. Suddenly her heart felt heavy because she knew what Maura was about to say, what she was about to ask.

"Don't," she said softly but Maura shook her head.

"Jane, I need to know…"

The way Maura said it, her voice soft and close to breaking, made Jane's heart shatter with guilt. She averted her eyes. "I don't know what to say."

"Just tell me something," Maura insisted. Her breath hitched as she took a step closer to Jane and put her hand on her arm. The feeling it created startled them both and their eyes found each other again. Jane couldn't bring herself to look away a second time as Maura's piercing eyes held hers. "You can't expect me not to ask, to not what to know."

Jane swallowed hard but the lump in her throat didn't shift. "Okay," she whispered.

"Did you mean it?" Maura pressed. "Out on the beach, when you told me you love me. Did you mean it?"

Jane tried to answer but the words wouldn't form. It as if she had been robbed of her ability to speak. She could only look at Maura and see the desperation and the hurt in her eyes. How had she not seen this? Why had it taken her so long to understand that this was what Maura felt? Why did it take a moment where she almost lost her to realise that Maura wasn't just something to her but that she was her everything?

"I see."

Maura mistook Jane's silence for rejection and her hand slipped from the detective's arm. Jane's skin instantly felt cold. Maura slowly turned away and started for the door, her shoulders dropping. Somehow Jane managed to turn around and her mouth opened. She didn't think about the words she wanted to say. They just rolled out and suddenly she recognised her own despair. She started walking and caught Maura's elbow, forcing her to turn around in the open doorway.

"I love you," Jane said, suddenly breathless. "I love _you_, Maura Isles."

Maura's eyes lit up.

"I'm messed up, and you know full well that I am. I know I'm not perfect, and that I will never be perfect. But for you I'll try," Jane continued. "I am broken and scarred and I am not very good with emotions and with feelings but Maura, I love you. God only knows why it took so long for me to realise it but I did and I don't want that to ever change." She took a deep breath and continued, "I want you in my life. I want to see you in the mornings when I wake up. I want you to make me cups of that stupid, expensive coffee and I want you to rearrange my kitchen cupboards and throw away the marmite if you want to." She grabbed hold of Maura's hands as quiet tears began to trickle down the doctor's cheeks. "I want _you_, Maura."

"Oh Jane," Maura whispered and she closed the distance between them. Soft lips that tasted of tears and orange juice found Jane's and she kissed her.

~()~

"Should we tell Jane and Doctor Isles about this?" Frost said and looked at Korsak.

They were standing in the Homicide bullpen and stared at the whiteboard in the middle of the room. They'd rearranged the pictures and crime scene evidence, replacing Maura's picture in the middle for one of Jane. The areas marked with "suspect" and "motive" still had a big question mark in them.

"Jane left her phone in the apartment during the shooting and I told her to turn Doctor Isles' phone off in case they tried tracking it," Korsak said and rubbed the back of his head. "We don't know where they are."

They both looked up when Frankie walked into the squad room. Frost had called them after they realised the shot had been aimed at Jane and asked him to come down. He now walked in, dressed in a pair of worn out jeans and an old-t-shirt, concern etched across his face. When he saw the whiteboard with his sister's picture in the middle, some of the colour drained from his face.

"Is this for real?" he wanted to know. "Someone tried to kill Janie?"

Korsak nodded. "I'm afraid it looks that way."

"Why?!"

"That's the million dollar question," Frost replied. "Why would someone inside the mob want to kill Jane?"

"This still has got something to do with Doyle," Korsak said. "One way or another." He walked over to the board and pointed at Maura's picture. "Doctor Isles is Doyle's daughter. He would do anything to protect her. Hurting her would make sure he doesn't talk in court."

"I get that," Frost answered. "So why Jane?" He rubbed his eyes. ""Why would Doyle's enemies target Jane? Wouldn't it make more sense for them to target Doctor Isles?"

Korsak couldn't suppress a smile. "Have you seen those two together, Frost?"

"What do you mean?"

"Targeting Jane _is_ targeting Doctor Isles."

"They're hoping that if they get to Jane, they get to Maura," Frankie interjected. "Maura would do anything to keep Jane safe. They're counting on that. That's what they want." He looked at Korsak. "What if they want Maura to do something that will affect Doyle's trial?"

"Like lie on the stand?" Frost asked and Frankie nodded.

"Wouldn't put it past those guys," Korsak agreed. "They have been known to tamper witnesses all the time. That's how so many of them never went to prison. Witnesses disappeared or changed their testimonies. Blackmail is something the mob is very familiar with. Threatening families of those who were about to testify against them, pressuring them not to give evidence in court."

"We need to fine Jane," Frankie said. "Where are they?"

Korsak shook his head. "We don't know."

Frost looked up. "Didn't you say that Jane called you of Doctor Isles' phone?" Korsak nodded and he pulled his computer screen towards him. "We can track Doctor Isles' phone. It will tell us where they are."

"I told Jane to switch off."

"I can try and trace the last call she made."

Frost's fingers flew across the keyboard and suddenly a map of the East Coast popped up. A small dot began to flicker and the camera slowly moved in. He pumped his fist into the air in triumph and turned to the other two detectives.

"Yes!" The smile on his face grew wider. "They're in Cape Cod."

"Cape Cod?" Korsak answered and looked at Frankie. "Did your family ever go there?"

He shook his head. "Never been."

"Maybe Doctor Isles did," Frost suggested. "A lot of people have summer homes in Cape Cod."

Korsak sat down behind his own computer and began typing away. A couple of minutes went by with only the sound of his fingers on the keyboard filling the bullpen but then he looked up. "One of the houses there is registered to a Constance and Bernard Isles."

"Maura's parents," Frankie said immediately. "That's why they went there!"

"You and Frost drive down to Cape Cod. Cavanaugh and I will run things from here," Korsak said. "We've got a leak somewhere and I intend to find it so we can bring Jane and Doctor Isles home."

~()~

Jane loved the feeling of burying her face in Maura's hair and nuzzling against her neck. She loved kissing the soft, warm skin behind her ear and she loved breathing in the scent of Maura's skin. She relished in the feeling of the doctor's arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer. She would give anything to be able to hold onto this feeling for the rest of her life. She didn't want it to end.

"I could get used to this," she whispered into Maura's ear. She played with a strand of Maura's hair. "Maybe we should just stay here."

Maura looked up in surprise to find Jane looking back at her with kind brown eyes, a smile dancing across her lips.

"What?"

"Let's stay here," Jane smiled. "You and me."

Maura was about to answer but the words never left her mouth.

The sound of wood splintering made them both look up and Jane instinctively stepped in front of Maura. The splintering sound was followed by the noise of breaking glass and the echo of heavy boots on the wooden floor. Suddenly there were shadows in the kitchen and angry voices filled the night. Two tall and dark clad figures burst through the patio doors out onto the grass.

It happened so fast.

Jane spun around and pushed Maura away from her. The doctor had already started running and was only a few steps ahead of Jane. She heard the panicked outcry as one of the two figures moved past Jane and seemed to be closing in on Maura. Jane increased her pace and overtook the assailant with ease. Maura looked back over her shoulder, the distance between her and Jane growing bigger.

"RUN!" Jane shouted, panic lacing her voice. "Maura, just run!"

Maura had reached the small gate that led to the steps. She jumped over it and disappeared into the darkness of the night. Gone was the sound of her voice, the sound of her footsteps. Jane's heart hammered in her chest, pounding against her ribcage so hard that it felt as if it was about to explode. Her lungs were burning and the muscles in her legs protested. She was about to jump and follow Maura down the steps when the sudden weight of a body crashing into her knocked her to the ground.

She hit the grass with a sickening thud. The air was smacked out of her lungs as a heavy weight pressed down on her. Suddenly there were hands everywhere and someone pulled her to her feet with brute force. Her head jolted sideways unexpectedly, causing her to flinch in pain. Slowly her blurred vision became sharper and she looked up into the face of an unknown male. Dark eyes filled with anger stared back at her. Next thing she felt was the sharp and burning pain as her attacker dealt an unforgiving backhand and hit her across her cheek.

"Where's the other woman?" an unknown voice grunted. She felt the presence of a second person, heard the heavy breathing. "Where's the blonde one?"

"She got away," the one who had thrown her to the ground answered. He shrugged and looked back at Jane. "Doesn't matter. We got what we came for. Boss will be happy."

Jane tried to look her attacker in the eye, recognise at least some tiny feature of his face. Her brain desperately tried to think but the pain in her head was overwhelming. She felt something warm trickle down her face. The nausea was unexpected and welled up from the pit of her stomach. She didn't get a chance to think about her predicament as her attacker forcibly dragged her across the grass and back into the house. Her knees scraped across the stones on the patio and the wooden floor.

Suddenly he let go of her and she fell down onto her stomach. She curled up into a ball almost instantly, her body shivering beyond her control. Through the pain she tried to listen to what the two men were talking about. Maura had gotten away, she knew that. She was safe. They wouldn't be able to find her in the darkness.

"Looks like she's pretty messed up already," one of the men said.

A shadow fell over Jane's face and she forced herself to look up. The shorter of the two stood over her.

"So much for a tough detective, eh?" he joked, his lips curling up into a menacing grin. "Not so strong now, are you?"

The second figure appeared on her other side, towering over her like a predator hovered over a prey just before it attacked. "Let's just teach the detective a little lesson, shall we?"

The pain was unlike anything she had ever felt before. First it just in her lower back as her attacker's boot planted itself firmly against her body. Then it travelled, from her toes all the way to her head. It crept through her like a poison, growing stronger with every passing minute. Blood began to pour from her nose and her mouth. She felt how her eyes began to swell and the sound of her groans became softer and softer as the minutes began to pass. She didn't even cry when she felt her ribs crack in her chest. Eventually she closed her eyes and just waited.

She could cope with the punches. She could cope with the sound of their fists and boots against her body; she could cope with the feeling of their violence and the pain. It was the silence between the kicks and punches that was terrifying. The false sense of security that her torment was about to end only for it to return. Allowing her a few seconds to catch her breath and hope, pray, that they would finally leave her alone only to hear their voices again as they encouraged each other to start again. The sound of their tormenting laughter as it bounced off the kitchen walls, her face pressed against the wooden floor whilst blood trickled from her nose into her mouth, turned the best night of her life into a living hell.

And then it was over.

Suddenly there was nothing but silence and the horrid sound of her own struggle to breathe. There was only the smell of blood and the pounding in her head. Slowly the last bit of light faded and there was only the comforting darkness that swallowed her up as the pain and the tiredness became too much. The last thing she heard was the sound of footsteps as her attackers left her bleeding on the floor and the soft, comforting beating of her own heart.


	9. Chapter 9

**Note: **I am back from my holidays and back to writing. I know you guys have been waiting for this for a very long time so I hope you'll enjoy it!

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**Chapter 9**

The house was covered in darkness. Not a single light burnt behind the windows. The metal gates were open, creating the appearance of a haunted mansion. Gravel snapped under their boots as they walked to the door, their guns drawn. A flashlight was their only source of light. The bright yellow beam cut through the darkness like a knife, creating ghastly shadows across the walls. In the distance a branch snapped and both their heads whipped up.

The adrenaline rushed through their veins and their hearts hammered in their chests. The hairs on the back of their necks stood up as an unexpected ghost of cold sea wind reached them. Their gazes locked as they approached the front door. Two sets of eyes widened as they took in the devastating sight of the broken down door. Splinters of wood littered both the driveway and the hall. Shards of glass from the small oval shaped windows made a bone chilling grinding sound as they stepped on them.

Frost pointed towards the kitchen and Frankie nodded. They did not need words.

They crossed the hallway towards the other room. There was only silence other than the sound of their own footsteps. Frankie was two steps behind Frost and the older detective had reached the doorway that led into the kitchen. The beam of light danced across the units, reflected in the windows before bouncing along the floor.

In a flash Frankie saw the one thing he had dreaded to find.

"Blood," he hissed as Frost's flashlight swept across the floor. The beam came to a rest on the distinct pattern of burgundy drops.

"Jane?!" Frankie called his sister's name with a hint of despair in his voice. "Janie, you here?"

The groaning was almost impossible to hear; a soft, quiet whimper of pain that lasted for no more than a second. Then it was gone. But it was enough for Frankie and he circled the breakfast bar, his partner's flashlight following his every move. The beam of light hit the figure lying on the floor before Frankie did and he looked down. For the first time in his life he didn't recognise his sister.

"Oh my God, Jane!" He spun back around to Frost. "Hit the light!"

A few seconds later the kitchen bathed in bright golden light and Frankie dropped down to his knees. Tentatively he reached out a hand and carefully touched his sister's cheek, or what he assumed was her cheek. She lay on her back, a few strands of dark hair falling into her eyes. Frankie felt the bile rise up in the back of his throat as he looked at Jane. She looked like something from a horror movie.

Her left eye had been beaten shut and was so swollen it covered her face from her forehead all the way down to her jaw. Cuts and grazes covered the swelling and her face was black and blue. She had a black eye on the right side, a split lip that was still bleeding and a cut to her forehead. Blood trickled from her nose and the back of her head, clinging to her raven curls and spilling across the floor. As she opened her mouth to speak, more blood gushed out.

"Oh God."

Frost covered his mouth with his hand and then reached into his pocket to take out his cell phone. His fingers quickly dialled the numbers 911 as Frankie leant over his sister and carefully brushed the hair out of her eyes.

"Ssssh," he said softly when Jane tried to speak. He shook his head.

Jane struggled to turn her head to look at her brother and through her injuries it was almost impossible to see her big brown eyes. Frankie realised with a shock why it was so hard to identify his sister's brown orbs; the white of her eyes had turned a sickening shade of red.

"It's going to be ok, Janie," Frankie whispered. "We're here now. The ambulance is coming and we'll get you out of here. I promise, everything's going to be okay."

Frost walked over to Frankie and Jane. His heart ached as he looked down at his bleeding and injured partner. He had always known Jane Rizzoli as a tough, independent woman who stood her ground in a world dominated by men. He admired her strength, her devotion and her determination not to let any man control her. She had fought to be where she was and to see all of that destroyed broke his heart.

"Where's Maura?" Frankie suddenly asked and his eyes darted around the kitchen. He then looked up to Frost. The realisation that they hadn't found the doctor hit them both. "Frost, where the hell is Maura?!"

Frost's hand shot down to his gun and he turned around. With his weapon drawn he left the kitchen and seconds later Frankie heard footsteps on the stairs. Floorboards creaked over his head. He looked back down at Jane. Her gaze seemed to be fixed on the kitchen window but it was hard to tell if she was staring at it intentionally or if it was all that she could manage. He noticed her hand was shaking and he covered it with his own. Almost immediately the trembling stopped.

Frost appeared back in the kitchen and shook his head. Worry reflected in his eyes and he slipped his gun back into its holster. "No sign of Doctor Isles."

Frankie looked down at Jane. He knew that his sister would want them to find Maura. "This doesn't make any sense," he said. "We know they were here for Jane. This was never about Maura so why would they kidnap her now?"

"No signs of a struggle anywhere else in the house other than the kitchen," Frost said. "Only one of the beds has been slept in but nothing else seems out of place. It's like Doctor Isles just vanished."

There was a soft snap followed by another and both detectives spun around. The doors leading from the kitchen to the back garden were wide open and the sea breeze blew into the house. In the distance the sound of sirens wailing approached. From the darkness a single shadow emerged, hands raised above their head and a long, thin shaped object in their hands.

Frankie drew his gun faster than he could blink and Frost followed. His finger cherished the trigger as his eyes fixed on the figure emerging from the darkness. His heart pounded in his chest with such force that he believed it was about to break through his ribcage. Every shallow breath he took hurt. Then slowly his eyes recognised the figure and the grip on his gun instantly loosened.

"Maura!"

Maura stood in the doorway with her arms raised over her head, a long tree branch clutched securely between her hands. The dark look in her eyes immediately disappeared when she recognised the two men in the kitchen as Frankie and Frost and she dropped the branch. It landed at her dirty, bloodied bare feet and suddenly the tears were streaming down her face.

She staggered into the kitchen and her knees buckled just as Frost wrapped both his arms around her. Her entire weight rested against his shoulder and he tightened his grip to keep her upright. A smothered sob escaped her, the bright light blinding her eyes, and she raised her hands to protect her face. It was only then that she noticed Jane lying on the floor and she freed herself from Frost's arms before dropping to her knees beside her.

"Jane?" she breathed. The detective didn't move. "Jane, can you hear me?"

"She was conscious when we found her," Frost said as he kneeled down next to Maura. He briefly glanced at Frankie. He suddenly looked pale and old beyond his years. "Barely."

Maura leant over Jane, placing her cheek almost against the detective's lips. She sighed in relief. "She's breathing," she stated. Her eyes scanned Jane's body and she gasped at the extent of her injuries. She didn't even try to count the cuts and bruises. "Oh Jane…"

"What happened?" Frankie wanted to know.

"I… I don't know," Maura whispered as she pressed her fingers against Jane's wrist to check her pulse. "One minute we were standing outside talking and the next…" Her voice shook. "They kicked the door down. They were here for me, they'd found us and Jane… Jane told me to run so I ran." More tears trickled down her cheek. "I thought she'd be right behind me but when I turned around she wasn't. I hid in the garden of a house a little further down the road. I kept expecting her to turn up but when she didn't…"

"Maura, they weren't here for you," Frost said carefully and the doctor looked up. "They were here for Jane."

"What?!"

"We had this all wrong from the beginning. We all thought this was about you being Doyle's daughter and that that was the reason they tried to kill you; to get Doyle to shut up."

"You mean this isn't about my father?"

"Oh it is," Frankie said. His face looked menacing. "But not in the way we thought."

"What do you mean?"

"This is still about getting Doyle to stay quiet in court. Everyone knows he will do anything for his family. He would do anything to protect you from getting hurt," Frost explained and cast a questioning look at Frankie and the younger detective nodded. "Everyone also knows that Jane is the most important person in your life."

Maura looked back at Jane. Her hands were covered in the other woman's blood. Her nose had stopped bleeding and her eyes were open although it seemed she wasn't looking at Maura directly. She barely responded as the doctor moved her hands across Jane's chest and found the broken ribs underneath her clothes. She fought back her tears. Jane had suffered in her attempt to try and protect her.

"So they targeted Jane because they know hurting Jane means hurting me."

"That's what we think."

The sound of snapping gravel and brakes filled the kitchen. Seconds later three EMT's rushed in and two immediately began working on Jane. They only spoke to each other, not to the other people in the room. The third EMT turned to the detectives and Maura.

"We'll take real good care of her, I promise," he said. "Can you give me her details?"

"Jane Clementine Rizzoli. Blood type A positive, 36 years old, no known allergies," Maura answered on autopilot. The look on her face was blank and she wrapped her arms around herself in support. "She suffered severe injuries after a shooting two years ago causing lacerations to her peritoneum and small bowel."

The EMT looked at Maura with half a smile. The look in his eyes was kind as he took in the tormented expression on Maura's face. "Are you her doctor?"

"I'm her…" Maura slowly looked up. "I'm her partner."

"You want to ride with us?" the EMT offered as his colleagues carefully placed Jane onto the spinal board before moving her to the stretcher. He briefly put his hand on Maura's arm and the doctor's eyes snapped up. His eyes found Maura's. "I think she could use all the love and support in the world right now."

Maura simply nodded and followed the EMT's out of the kitchen, through the hall and out of the front door. They loaded the stretcher into the waiting ambulance before climbing in. One turned around and offered Maura a hand to help her into the back. She took it but couldn't find the energy to smile. Suddenly she realised how much she hurt inside. With every heartbeat the pain increased.

As she sat down on the only empty seat she reached out and took Jane's hand into her own. It was still warm but covered in blood. She looked down at their united hands. Jane's eyes had fallen shut as soon as the EMT's gave her a painkiller. They had put her onto an IV and were now monitoring her vital signs as they hooked her up to machines. The tears welled up in Maura's eyes before pouring across her cheeks.

"I'm so sorry, Jane," she whispered. "This all happened because of me. This…" Her voice cracked. "You're hurt. They could have killed you because of…." Suddenly she felt sick. "Because of me."

"Maura?"

She looked up, not having realised the ambulance hadn't driven off yet. Frankie stood a few steps away from her, his hands resting against the ambulance's open back door. Frost stood right behind him. Their faced looked almost ghostlike, lit up by the flashing blue and red lights.

"This wasn't your fault, okay?" he reassured her. "What happened to Janie…" His eyes darted towards his now sleeping sister before looking back at Maura. "This didn't happen because of you."

"Yes it did," Maura said. She sounded bitter, angry and wounded. Her hazel eyes darkened as the anger began to seep into her heart. "It happened because of me."

"Maura…"

She shook her head. "Don't," she said as she averted her eyes and looked back at Jane. In the pale light of the ambulance she looked so fragile. "We both know it's not true."

"We're ready to roll," the EMT who had offered Maura to drive along said and he looked at the two detectives. He closed the backdoors and Maura and Jane were withdrawn from her sight. "You can follow us if you like."

"We will," Frankie said and Frost gently put a hand on his shoulder. "Thank you."

From inside the ambulance Maura watched how Frankie and Frost slowly turned around and disappeared from sight as they walked back to their car. She then looked back at Jane. She still held the raven haired woman's hand into her own. She couldn't let go. She didn't think she would ever be able to let go of Jane again.

"This is my fault," she said and anger flickered behind her eyes. "I promise you, Jane, _no one_ will ever hurt you again because I swear, the next time someone comes near you because they want to hurt me or Paddy Doyle, I will hurt them in return…"


	10. Chapter 10

**Note: **Told you I'd be back soon? ;-) Thanks for all the awesome reviews, folks. Ya'll rock!

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**Chapter 10**

She had been in hospitals more times than she could count. She had done her medical rotations in several different ones around the country, all on different departments. She had saved lives, changed lives and seen lives lost. But there was something different about being the one who didn't know what was happening. The world around her seemed like a daze, with blurred figures and distant voices. She didn't hear them speak, she didn't see their faces. She just sat in one of the chairs in the ER waiting room, her bloodied hands folded in her lap.

Maura didn't know how much time had passed since the ambulance arrived at the hospital. She didn't even know what city she was in. One of the EMT's had brought her into the waiting room, told one of the nurses to look after her and then promised he would come back for her once he had some answers. It could have been ten minutes or an hour. She had no idea of time.

She looked up when she felt a hand on her shoulder and found Frankie looking back at her. Worry reflected in his eyes as he studied her face.

"Maura, you ok?" he asked softly as he sat down beside her. He never let go of her arm. "Where did they take Jane?"

"They're working on her now," Maura answered, repeating only what she had heard the nurse say a little while earlier. "The doctors think she won't need surgery."

Frankie heaved a sigh of relief. All the way here he hadn't been able to shake the image of his sister's bloodied face. The sight of Jane so brutally beaten up would haunt him for a very long time. He'd been to shaken up to drive so Frost took the wheel. As he looked up he saw his friend standing at the desk talking to one of the nurses.

"Thank God for that," Frankie said and looked at Maura.

She was pale. All the colour had drained from her face. A bloodied smudge covered her cheek and she hadn't washed her hands yet. There were blood stains on her clothes and as he looked down he realised that she was still on her bare feet. Her toes looked bruised and sore, with small cuts and bits of leave and sand stuck to them. His head whipped back up and he signalled one of the nurses.

"Could you have a look at these, please?" he asked and pointed at Maura's feet. "And maybe get her something to eat?"

The nurse nodded and smiled as she carefully took Maura's hand, helping her to her feet. It was only now that she started to walk that Maura realised just how painful her feet were and she struggled to put one foot in front of the other. The nurse, noticing the doctor's struggle, draped Maura's arm around her shoulder and supported her as they made their way out of the waiting room and to one of the examination room.

Frost walked from the desk across the waiting area and sat down next to Frankie. "The nurse said they're still working on her. They've done an X-ray and she's broken two of her ribs. No internal bleeding which is amazing apparently, considering her injuries. She'll need a bunch of stitches and they think she may have a concussion."

Frankie leant back in his chair and folded his hands behind his head. He chewed his lip. "They beat the crap out of her, Frost." There was anger in his voice. The kind of anger a sibling would feel when someone hurt their brother or sister. He and Jane had had their differences throughout their lives but he considered his sister to be one of his best friends. "They didn't care if they killed her or not."

"I know." Frost looked down at the floor. "We'll get them, Frankie. And when we do… They'll have the whole of BPD to deal with. Everyone will want a piece of their ass." He looked back up. "Did you call your mom?"

"She's on her way up here. Korsak's bringing her."

"How did she take it?"

Frankie arched an eyebrow. "You know Ma."

Frost couldn't help but smile. "You think we should warn the doctors?"

"It wouldn't be a bad idea."

"You think Maura's OK?"

"I don't know," Frankie answered. "She's in shock, I think. I'm not sure how much of this is getting through to her right now."

Frost hesitated before speaking again. "Did you hear what she said?"

"About her being Jane's partner?" Frankie asked and Frost nodded. "Yeah."

"Did you know?"

Frankie shook his head. "As far as I knew, Jane was still seeing Casey but it doesn't surprise me."

"I don't think it will surprise anyone." Frost looked around the waiting room. It was quiet. In fact, they were the only people here. "I have never seen Jane look at anyone like she looks at Doctor Isles. When Korsak explained why targeting Jane means targeting Maura, I understood just how deep this goes. What do you think she's going to do?"

"Maura? I don't know." Frankie took a deep breath. "Jane never talks about Doyle very much so I don't really know how much of it affects Maura but now that it's affecting Jane…." He glanced at his friend. "She's the daughter of a mobster after all."

"DNA doesn't make us who we are, Frankie. Doctor Isles herself has said that many times."

The minutes slowly began to pass, fading into hours. Somewhere in the distance the first rays of morning sunshine started to climb over the horizon and night slowly began to turn into day. The ER filled up with more people and the nurses changed shifts around the same time three more people came walking in.

Angela Rizzoli immediately laid eyes on her son sitting in the waiting room and Frankie stood up.

"Frankie!" she cried, tears glistening in her eyes. "What happened?!"

"Janie was attacked, Ma," he said calmly as he slipped his arms around his mother's back and hugged her. "She was trying to protect Maura. She thought they were there for her but they were really there for Jane."

"Is she going to be allright?"

It was only then that Frankie realised that Angela and Korsak hadn't been the only people who walked into the ER. Casey stood behind Angela, dressed in a pair of jeans and a grey sweatshirt. He looked worried and in the unforgiving light of the waiting room he also looked old. Frankie glanced at Frost before looking back at Casey. An unnerving feeling settled in his stomach.

"The doctors say she should be allright in a few weeks. She's broken a couple of ribs and there's a lot of bruising and swelling. They said we can see her once she's awake."

Frost stepped forward when he sensed Frankie's hesitation. "Korsak, Casey, c'mon, I'll buy you a coffee."

The two men followed Frost out of the waiting room and down the hall to the small cafeteria. They sold coffee in there although according to Frankie it should have come with a biohazard warning. Once they were out of earshot Frankie turned to his mother. She looked at him.

"What's going on, Frankie?"

"You brought Casey?!"

Angela looked at her sun in bewilderment, not quite understanding why her son didn't approve of the fact she brought her daughter's boyfriend to the hospital. "Charles and Jane are seeing each other. He has the right to be here."

Frankie sighed, wondering to himself how he was going to explain to Angela that Casey was most likely not the person Jane wanted to see tonight. When he looked back at his mother she was still staring at him and he could tell the wheels in her head were turning. He pushed his hands into his pockets and sheepishly stared down at the floor.

"Ma, things aren't exactly the way you think they are."

Angela took a step closer to Frankie. "What do you mean?"

"Jane and Casey," Frankie pointed out. "I'm not so sure they're still together, Ma."

Angela's jaw dropped. "But he never said anything."

"Oh boy." Frankie's stomach did a double flip and his voice dropped down to a whisper. "She hasn't told him yet."

"Told him what?"

At that same moment one of the doctors walked into the waiting room and called, "Rizzoli?"

"Yes?" Angela asked and turned to face the doctor. "How is she?"

"She's slowly waking up. She seems a little disorientated but so far it's nothing too concerning. I expect that in a few hours she'll be a little bit clearer," the doctor answered. Kind dark brown eyes looked from Angela to Frankie and back. "She's fractured two ribs and suffered extensive bruising to her face and her torso. There is significant swelling so I must warn you; she does look a lot worse than what you may have expected."

"Can we see her?" Angela asked.

"Sure, but only two at a time. We're keeping her in for observation for the next forty eight hours but after that she is free to go but only if she is able to recollect what happened. Right now her brain is a little fuzzy and she can't remember everything that happened."

"How bad is the memory loss?" Frankie wanted to know.

"She remembers everything up until the incident but she can't remember what happened after."

The doctor gestured towards the double doors leading from the ER waiting room into the department and held them open so Angela and Frankie could walk through. They were now standing in the middle of the busy looking ER and several trauma rooms and cubicles were occupied. They followed the doctor across the ER and he led them into one of the rooms on the left. Just before he opened the door he turned around.

"It seems Jane already has a visitor but for this once I'll allow three people inside."

He opened the door and Frankie and Angela stepped into the room. It was brightly lit but small. It had one window and it overlooked the ER. The curtains were partly drawn. The soft, monotone beeping of the heart monitor filled the room and Frankie's eyes drifted across towards the bed. Even though he had seen Jane lying on the floor covered in the blood, the sight of his sister's swollen and bruised face still took his breath away.

Jane lay propped up against several pillows. Her black hair had been combed out of her face and was a sharp contrast against the crisp white sheets. Her face was swollen and bruised but now that she was no longer covered in blood Frankie could see that her injuries were in fact less severe than he had thought. Only one eye was open, the other was too swollen to see. The white of her eyes was still red but in the bright light he recognised the familiar shape of Jane's big brown orbs and smiled.

"Oh Jane…" Angela covered her face with her hands when she saw her daughter. She seemed almost hesitant to cross the room.

Frankie saw Maura sitting in the chair next to Jane's bed, her hand covering both of Jane's. Until now her eyes had been fixed on Jane but she looked up when she heard Angela and Frankie come in. The nurses had given her a pair of clean scrubs to wear and his eyes instinctively dropped down. Her feet were bandaged up and she wore socks. The bandage peeked out from behind the white cotton.

"Hi Ma," Jane said with a rusty voice. Her one good eye then fixed on her brother. "Maura said you found me."

He nodded. "Yeah." He couldn't help but grin. "Am I your hero now?"

"Not by a long shot," Jane joked.

Angela and Frankie reached the bed. Angela pulled up the other chair and Frankie sat down at the edge of the mattress.

"How're you feeling?" Angela asked softly. Tears glistened in her eyes.

"It's not as bad as it looks, Ma."

"Jane was trying to protect me," Maura said, speaking for the first time since the Rizzoli's had entered the room. Her hazel eyes darted from Angela and Frankie back to Jane. Her fingers lovingly caressed Jane's hands and the detective responded by lacing her fingers through Maura's.

Frankie shifted on the bed in such a way that it drew Jane's attention. One look at his face told her he knew something he hadn't told her. "What?" she wanted to know. "What aren't you telling me?"

"Jane, this isn't about Maura," he said softly and avoided looking at his mother, choosing to keep his eyes on Jane instead. "This is about you."

"Me?"

"We did a reconstruction of the crime scene shooting." Frankie took a deep breath. "The shot wasn't aimed at Maura. It was aimed at you."

Jane furrowed her brow. Her head was pounding and her body ached from head to toe. The broken ribs were absolute agony and she wished she could find a position that was more comfortable but there wasn't. Her mind was blurred. Every so often a flash would come back but so far all she remembered was the blue and red lights and her brother's face. Maura had filled in some of the blanks but she couldn't remember any of it.

"Me?" she sighed. "But why would anyone want to target me?"

Frankie looked at Maura as if to seek permission to explain to Jane what they had discovered. When she nodded he started talking.

"We think the idea is that by targeting you, they will convince Maura to do whatever is asked to keep you safe. Which most likely means they will ask her to lie in open court," Frankie answered. "Everyone knows how important family is to Doyle but…" He paused. "Everybody also knows how important you are to Maura."

"So they hope that by hurting me, they will either force you to lie in court or force you to seek revenge, incriminating yourself so you can't testify," Jane said slowly. "They expect you to want revenge."

Maura's eyes were unusually dark when she looked up. "I do."

"Maura…"

"This changes everything," Maura said. Her eyes pierced into Jane's and there was an echo of fear in her voice. "We've been going about this all wrong. It isn't me who needs the protection, it's you. They've put a hit out on you and something tells me this is going to be the last time they'll try to hurt you."

"Maura, this doesn't have to change everything," Jane said but the doctor fiercely shook her head.

"It does, Jane. A few little words and everything changes," she answered. She let her fingers ghost across Jane's bruised arm; once again taking in the sight of the horrific bruising Jane had suffered in her attempt to protect Maura. "'Just a few simple words can change your life. 'Your father's a criminal' or 'you're next 'or…" Her eyes unexpectedly found Jane's again and she chewed her bottom lip before speaking again. "Or… 'I love you'."

There was a silence as the words Maura had just spoken out in front of everyone else in the room sunk in. Jane couldn't take her eyes away from the beautiful doctor. Although she was hurting in every part of her body, there was no doubt in her mind she would do it all again if it meant she could protect Maura. She would have taken a bullet if it meant she would live. When Maura told her how she had begged her to run, she hadn't felt regret. She felt nothing but love and strength and although Maura seemed almost ashamed that Jane had suffered for her, Jane wouldn't change it even if she got the chance.

Frankie turned to Angela. She'd watched the scene between Jane and Maura unfold in surprise but hadn't spoken. Frankie leant in and their gazes locked.

"Now do you see why I said bringing Casey was a bad idea?" he whispered softly enough so Jane wouldn't hear him.

"I errr…," Angela stammered as she looked from Maura to Jane and eventually to Frankie. "I see…"

"Hey Janie," Frankie said, drawing Jane's attention. "Ma and I are gonna go grab a coffee. You want us to send Frost and Korsak in?" He didn't mention Casey, knowing full well he would be the last person she wanted to see right now.

Jane tried to smile. "OK."

Frankie led Angela out of the room and closed the door behind him. When he turned to look through the window he watched how Maura leant in and carefully pressed her lips against Jane's forehead before resting her cheek against Jane's, her arms draped across his sister's neck. Jane's bruised hands rested on Maura's arms and she seemed to relax into the doctor's soft embrace.

"When did this happen?" Angela asked, pointing at the room behind her.

Frankie shook his head. "I don't know. Somewhere between them going into protection and Jane being beaten up, I guess." He searched his mother's face and couldn't suppress a grin at just how flabbergasted she looked. "C'mon, Ma, it's not like we didn't see this coming! How long have we been talking about this? Two years, three? Jesus, I thought they were never going to figure it out."

Angela nervously smiled. "I know, Frankie. I guess I just didn't…"

"Expect it would actually happen?" When his mother nodded Frankie laughed. "Join the club."

"You think they're going to be allright?"

Angela asked it in such a way that Frankie suddenly felt his heart break for her. He didn't have kids but he did know and understand his mother. He had seen the pain in her eyes after he and Jane got shot a few years back. He knew she didn't like the job they had chosen. He knew she feared every day that someone would knock on her door and tell her one of her children had died in the line of duty. He knew she carried that burden of fear and he couldn't do anything to change it.

"Jane survived Hoyt, Ma," he said reassuringly. "She survived Hoyt on her own and then survived him again when she had Maura because Maura made her stronger to go through it all again." He glanced back into the room behind them. Maura had climbed into Jane's bed and was now lying beside her, Jane's head against her chest. He looked back at his mother and pointed at the window. When she looked inside and saw what her son had seen she turned back around, tears in her eyes but a smile on her face.

"Those two are going to be fine."


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Frankie and Angela Rizzoli left the ER and made their way back into the waiting room. When they walked through the double doors they found Frost, Korsak and Casey waiting for them. The latter stood up when he laid eyes on Angela, anticipation etched across his face. Behind his back, Frost and Korsak shared a look of worry. It seemed that Frost had managed to fill the older detective in on what he and Frankie had found back at the house.

"How is she?" Casey wanted to know. "Can I see her?"

"She's sleeping," Angela answered quickly, even before her son got a chance. She looked up at Casey. "I think it is best we let her be for the night. The doctors say she may not wake up again until the morning because of the medication."

Casey sunk back down into his seat and clenched and flexed his hands. "Did you tell her I won't be here in the morning?" he asked. "Did you tell her they're deploying me again in the morning?"

"I told her," Angela said and patted him on his shoulder. She briefly glanced at Frankie and when he met her gaze he nodded approvingly. She looked back at Casey. "I'm sure she'll understand, Charles."

Korsak turned to look at Casey. "They're deploying you on such short notice?"

"One of the other lieutenants in charge has been relieved of duty after a family emergency but they need somebody to oversee the task force for the remainder of his tour, which is another three months," Casey answered. There was a hint of pride in his voice. "I'll be on the afternoon flight out of Dulles back to Kabul tomorrow and from there we're headed to Helmand."

"We'll give you a lift back to Boston if you want," Frost offered. "If Jane's going to be asleep till the morning we may as well head home, make a start on finding out who this assholes are and exactly who it is they're working for."

"Thanks," Casey answered. "And when you do…" His eyes darkened a little. "They had better not run into me in some dark alley."

"We'll stay here," Frankie said, casting one glance at his mother. He knew she wasn't going to leave the hospital until Jane had made it through the night and he had no intentions of leaving his sister either. "Call us if you find anything. With a little luck we can bring Jane home in a couple of days and she can help us track these bastards down."

They said their goodbyes, Casey by wrapping Angela up into a strong hug, and parted ways. Angela and Frankie watched the three men walk out of the ER waiting room and they disappeared. The sun was beginning to climb over the horizon and soon dawn would be here. The horrors of the night would be behind them and they could focus on finding out who had attacked Jane and why. Frankie pushed his hands into his pockets and turned to look at Angela.

"Nice safe, Ma," he complimented. "Telling him that Jane was asleep."

Angela managed a smile. "I think it was best to let him go gently, you know." She looked at her son. "She can tell him when she's ready. It's not up to us. This is between Jane and Maura and Casey. They'll figure it out."

Across the ER, behind the double doors and inside the small room that overlooked the treatment area, Maura looked at Jane. The dark haired detective was asleep. In the pale light of the room her injuries looked brutal but Maura knew that extensive bruising could make things look far worse than they were. Her own feet were hurting only a little and the nurse had done a fine job cleaning them up before putting bandages on them. Her hand covered Jane's and she drew aimless figures across the scars.

"I promise I will find out who did this to you," Maura whispered before she pulled her chair closer to the bed and lay her head down on the mattress. It was an uncomfortable position but she didn't care. She'd draped the blanket one of the nurses gave her across her a little better before she slowly closed her eyes. The soft monotone beeping of Jane's heart monitor and the knowledge that she was safely by her side lulled Maura into a deep but dreamless sleep.

~()~

She woke to the sound of someone tapping against the door and Maura's head snapped up. She blinked against the suddenly bright light in the room and slowly she made out the shape of one of the nurses standing in the doorway. She smiled when she saw Maura looking around the room somewhat wearily and softly closed the door behind her before walking over to the bed.

"Did she sleep through the night?" the nurse asked and Maura nodded. "Good. Do you think she'll mind if I wake her up?"

"Probably," Maura answered, the hint of a smile lingering on her lips. "Jane isn't much of a morning person."

The nurse grinned and carefully touched Jane's hand. The touch was enough to rouse the detective from her sleep and the eye that wasn't swollen opened. The first thing Maura noticed was that some of the white of Jane's eye had started to appear again. The next thing she saw was a smile breaking through on Jane's bruised and battered face.

"Sorry to wake you, Jane," the nurse said. "My name is Vicky and I'm just here to do your regular checks." She looked at the machines Jane was hooked up to and seemed satisfied. "All normal. I think we can take you of these now if you want." She reached into her pocket and took out the ear thermometer. "I just need to take your temperature and I'll be out of your hair." She checked the results on the small digitals screen and then showed them to Jane. "Everything looks good. I'll get someone to get rid of all these machines and we'll find you some breakfast."

"Thank you," Jane answered with a husky voice. When the nurse had left the room she turned her head towards Maura. "You been here all night?"

Maura nodded. "Yeah." She took Jane's hand into her own. "I wasn't going to leave you, Jane."

"I knew you wouldn't," Jane answered and she carefully pushed herself up into a more seated position.

"How are you feeling?" Maura asked.

"Like I've been hit by a truck." Jane carefully touched her face and pressed a little against her swollen eye. She flinched when she realised just how bruised it really was and slightly turned towards Maura, her hand still covering her eye. "How do I look?"

"Mary Shelley would be proud."

"Shit."

Maura couldn't help but smile and she leaned in, softly pressing her lips against Jane's cheek. The kiss was chaste and over way too soon but it brought them both so much closer together. "You're still beautiful," she whispered.

The door opened again and another nurse came in. She introduced herself as Valerie and explained she would be unhooking Jane from all the monitors. She chatted as she did what she needed to, telling both Jane and Maura what it was she was doing. There wasn't much to it but Jane felt like a different person when she didn't hear the machine beep anymore or felt wires stick out of her body anymore. When Valeria turned to Jane's hand and checked the IV, she looked at the detective.

"You're not afraid of blood are you?" she asked with a quirky smile. "When I remove this, it will bleed a little."

Jane snorted. "I'm a Homicide Detective. I'd be pretty lousy at my job if I was afraid of blood."

Valerie grinned as she carefully pulled the cannula from Jane's hand before pressing a piece of cotton wool against it. She pulled a piece of tape off with her teeth, strapped the cotton wool in place. When she looked up and once again took in the sight of Jane's extensive bruising she smiled.

"You look after yourself, Detective Rizzoli. I hope I never see you in my ER again."

Jane chucked too. "No offence but that feeling's mutual."

"Your mother and your brother are outside. Want me to send them in?"

Jane nodded and Valerie turned around. She opened the door, beckoned Angela and Frankie to come in and waved before stepping out of the room. The door closed behind her and Jane watched her mother and her brother quickly cross the room. Now that she was sitting up she had to endure her mother's, somewhat cautious, hug. Her brother just kissed her on her head.

"I just spoke to the doctor. He says that if you feel well enough later today, we can take you back to Boston," Angela said as she sat down on the bed.

"You can stay at my place, Jane," Maura said quickly. "Those broken ribs will need plenty of rest."

"Staying at yours isn't restful, Maura," Jane pointed out. "Especially with the way Bass likes to throw himself in front of my feet. I'll probably break the rest of my ribs too!"

"Bass hardly throws himself in front of your feet, Jane," Maura scolded. "He likes you." She cocked an eyebrow and the smile that suddenly spread across her face reached her eyes. "I can understand that."

"Jane, there's something you need to know," Frankie said and Angela shot him a warning look but he ignored her. "When Ma arrived last night, she brought Casey with her."

"What?!" Jane's head snapped from Maura to her mother so fast that she flinched in pain. Her hand shot up to her ribs and she whimpered. "Why?!"

"She didn't know," Frankie answered. "But he asked us to tell you that he's being sent back out to Afghanistan. He leaves today."

Maura's face fell when she heard Casey's name and she looked down at her hands. For a few moments she had been allowed to believe that Casey had never been part of Jane's life but it seemed that no matter where she went, he kept haunting her. When she looked up she found Angela looking at her.

"Maura, honey, I didn't know," Angela said softly and tears welled up in her eyes. "Not until Frankie told me."

"Told you what, Ma?" Jane wanted to know. She glared at her brother. "What did you do?"

"I didn't do anything!" Frankie raised his hands into the air in innocence. "When the EMT's were working on you back at the house they asked Maura if she was your doctor. She told them she was your partner."

Jane looked at Maura. A dark pink blush had spread across the doctor's cheeks and Maura could only peer at Jane through her eyelashes. Somehow she felt shy. Jane felt herself smile. It was the kind of smile that warmed her body from the inside out and she reached to take Maura's hands. Although her head and her face were sore, the pain was forgotten when she looked at Maura.

"You said that?" she whispered.

Maura nodded. "I did."

"I told Ma when she got here," Frankie said and he chewed his lip. "I'm sorry, Jane. I know it's none of my business but I didn't think you'd want to see Casey after all of this."

"Thank you," Jane said softly. She then looked at her mother. "So… you know?"

"I know," Angela answered and her eyes flashed from Jane to Maura and back. She saw how Maura held Jane's hand and how Maura just being here brought a smile to Jane's eyes. She'd seen how they made each other happy even if they had somehow been unable to see it themselves. Frankie had been right. It had just been a matter of time.

"I'm just glad you two finally found each other."

"Thanks, Ma."

"And this doesn't mean you can't give me grandbabies."

"MA!"

For the remainder of the day Jane was checked out by two different doctors, managed to eat some food and drink several glasses of water. The hours passed quickly and darkness had already begun to fall by the time there was a knock on her door. Everyone looked up when the doctor who had introduced himself as Doctor Rodriguez several hours earlier, walked in with a small stash of paperwork in his hands.

"We had a look at your progress, Jane," he said and noticed the anticipation etched across the detective's face. "And we're confident that you're well enough to go home." The smile that broke through on Jane's face could have lit up the world and Doctor Rodriguez turned to Maura. "You're a Doctor. You know what she can and can't do. Make sure she doesn't overexert herself. No heavy lifting. We'll prescribe her some painkillers for the first few days."

"Thank you," Jane smiled when the Doctor looked back at her. She'd already pushed the blankets on her bed away from her and carefully tried to swing her legs over the edge. The pain shot through her body at blinding speed and she felt a little lightheaded but that wasn't going to stop her from going home. She wanted to go back to Boston.

By the time they finally walked out of the hospital it was dark outside. Maura pushed Jane in her wheelchair, much to the detective's objections, and Frankie drove his mother's car round to the front. Maura and Jane got into the back of the car whilst Angela got into the passenger seat. Once Maura had helped Jane buckle up she scooted closer to the detective, wrapped a protective arm around her shoulder and smiled into Jane's curls when Jane rested her tired body against Maura's.

"I'm gonna take you home," Maura promised as she ran her fingers through Jane's long hair. "And I am going to take care of you." She kissed the top of Jane's head as she felt the other woman snuggle into her a little deeper. Her own eyes felt heavy and tired and she rested her head against Jane's. "No one will ever hurt you again."

Frankie looked into the rear view mirror and nudged his mother. Angela turned around and she smiled endearingly when she saw Jane and Maura wrapped up in each other's arms, finally safe anf sound, asleep.

They drove back towards Boston and it was late by the time they finally reached the city. Jane had been asleep for almost the entire journey but Maura woke after about half an hour and watched as the world flashed by outside. The closer they came to Boston, the more determined she became. Something had stirred deep inside of her and she couldn't put it back to sleep, even if she wanted to. She caught a glimpse of her own reflection in the car window, lit up by one of the many streetlamps, Her eyes were dark and her features had hardened. She knew that when they got home, things would change.

Frankie pulled into the drive of Maura's house and realised there was an unmarked police car parked on the other side of the road. The two detectives acknowledged him and he merely nodded. Maura's house was under surveillance because of Jane, he realised. It made him feel better to know that Jane was being watched but he also knew that Jane would never accept it.

Maura gently woke Jane and she helped the sleep drunk detective into the house. She guided her upstairs and into her bedroom before helping her to bed. She didn't bother taking off Jane's sweatpants and her shirt. It could wait till the morning. She stood in the doorway as she watched Jane sleep. She had barely been awake enough to realise they had made it home and she was in bed. The golden light of the bedside lamp highlighted the injuries to Jane's face and Maura sighed.

She softly closed the door and went back downstairs to find Angela and Frankie making coffee in her kitchen.

"She's asleep," she answered before Angela could ask. "I don't think she even noticed we're home."

"Good," Angela said and pushed one of the mugs in Maura's direction. "Here, drink this. I've put whiskey in it."

They all drank in silence before going their separate ways. Frankie would sleep on the couch in Angela's guesthouse. He wouldn't take no for an answer when Maura said that she had a perfectly acceptable guest bedroom. He and Angela left the kitchen and Maura switched off the lights before climbing the stairs and opening her bedroom door. Jane was still asleep.

Maura stripped off, changed into a pair of pyjamas and carefully slipped under the covers beside Jane. When she felt the detective roll over and drape her arm across her stomach she released the breath she'd been holding and allowed her eyes to close.

~()~

She'd never thought she'd take this step. It felt like crossing a line; like she was betraying herself. The corridors of the prison were dull and grey and the sound of her high heels against the stone flood bounced off the walls. Nobody spoke. The warden and the officer behind her walked in silence. One of the doors buzzed as it swung open to let her through. The ID badge stuck on her jacket marking her a visitor bounced up and down with every step she took.

It was still early. Maura had woken up just after six o'clock that morning and made one phone call. She then took a shower and woke Angela with the request if she could keep an eye on Jane. There was something she needed to do. She hadn't even flinched when she lied to the Rizzoli matriarch by telling her it was about work. It seemed that the cracks in her demeanour were already beginning to show.

The warden held still outside a heavy black metal door. He swiped his key card and a row of four green lights came on. The door unlocked and he stepped aside to let her in. Maura's heart pounded in her throat as she stepped over the threshold into the small room. Lit only by a single light bulb that cast barely enough light to chase the shadows, the room held a single table and two chairs. One was empty, the other occupied and Maura looked into the eyes of Paddy Doyle.

"Maura." He seemed genuinely surprised to see her. There was a hint of concern in his voice. "What are you doing here?"

"Save it," she said sharply and sat down into the other chair.

Seeing Paddy Doyle in an orange prison jumpsuit and his hands shackled to the table reduced the once great mobster to just a pathetic human being, she thought. Whatever he had been on the outside, he wasn't anymore on the inside.

"I heard about the shooting," Paddy said and he leaned in a little. "Did they hurt you? Are you allright?"

"I'm fine," Maura bit back. "You know damn well that shot wasn't aimed at me." Her eyes darkened. "It was aimed at Jane."

"I told Rizzoli to keep her nose out my business."

"That's your answer to everything, isn't it?" Maura asked. "Don't ask questions and you won't get hurt." She shook her head in disgust. "I need you to tell me who put out that hit on Jane."

"Why do you think I know?"

"Because you do."

"Does she know you're here?" Maura didn't answer and Paddy smirked. "I didn't think so. She wouldn't be too happy to find out you came to me asking for help."

"Do you know who put the hit out, or not?" Maura asked, ignoring his attempt to make her feel guilty for being here. "I know this is about you. Someone out there is trying to use my relationship with Jane to stop me from testifying during your trial. Who knows about me and Jane? "

"It's not exactly Boston's best kept secret," Paddy replied. "Everyone knows."

Maura bit her tongue and leaned across the table. "Who hates you enough that they would hurt your daughter? Who has that kind of power over you that you would let them?" A slight twitch near his eye gave him away and she suddenly smiled. "That's what this is, isn't it? Whoever did this actually has control over you. They must be the only person in this whole world who can tell Paddy Doyle what to do."

"Even if you're right," Paddy answered and watched how his daughter stood up from her chair and knocked the door three times. "What are you going to do about it?"

She gave him one last look before stepping out of the room.

"Whatever it takes."


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

Maura returned home carrying two bags of groceries and when she stepped into the kitchen the first thing she noticed was Jane sitting at the breakfast bar wearing a pair of sweatpants and a baseball jersey, clutching a cup of coffee. Her dark curls obscured some of the injuries across her face but when she looked up and the locks fell away, the extent of the bruising became fully visible. She smiled, as best as she could, when she saw Maura come in.

"I hope that's breakfast," she said. "I had a look in your fridge but all I found was lettuce. Ma said she'd make pancakes but somehow she seems to have disappeared."

"You need milk for pancakes," Maura pointed out as she took the bottle out of the bag and placd it on the counter. "I didn't have any." Her hazel eyes found Jane's and she felt her heart both swell with pride as well as ache at the memory of what she had done earlier that morning. She quickly averted her eyes. "I can make you pancakes, if you want?"

"You can make pancakes?" Jane asked in surprise. She grinned. "This I've gotta see."

The backdoor opened and Frankie walked in, his hair still damp from the shower. In his hand he clutched an envelope and his eyes fixed on Jane. "Hey, Janie."

"What's that?" she wanted to know when she saw the envelope.

Frankie's eyes flashed from Jane to Maura and back. "Something Casey left for you."

Jane groaned and buried her bruised face in her hands. She peered at Frankie through her fingers when he walked over to her and snatched the envelope from his hands. Casey's handwriting spelled out her name on the front and she sighed in frustration. "Does he ever give up?"

"C'mon, Jane, the guy doesn't know," Frankie reminded her. "At some point, when your face looks a little less freaky, you're gonna have to tell him."

"I know."

Jane opened the envelope and pulled out the neatly folded piece of paper inside. She unfolded it and heaved a sigh in relief when she noticed the note was only a few lines long. She skimmed over them without really taking in what it said. She had a pounding headache and the smell of Maura's pancakes was distracting her. She struggled to focus enough to read the words and had to hold the paper a little closer to her face to really read it.

_Dear Jane,_

_I'm sorry I have to leave without telling you goodbye. I wish I could have seen you and told you myself but I've been called back to Afghanistan. I won't be back for a few months by which time I hope you will have fully recovered and we can see where the road we've started to travel takes us._

_With all my love,  
Casey_

There was a knock on the front door and Frankie went to get it. Jane threw the letter onto the counter and looked up at Maura. The doctor was busying herself with her pancakes and hadn't looked up once while Jane read the letter. Although she didn't speak, Jane could tell she was upset and she slipped off her chair and circled around the counter before slipping her arms around Maura's waist. She pressed her lips into the back of Maura's neck and smiled when she felt her relax into her.

"We'll deal with this," Jane promised. "Once I can see the keyboard of my commuter a little more clearly, I'll send him an email."

Maura smiled. "I know," she answered and she turned slightly so she could look at Jane. "I know, Jane."

Frankie walked back into the kitchen followed by Korsak and Frost. Jane greeted both her partners with a hug but flinched when Frost held her a little too tight and her hand shot down to her ribs. She limped back to her chair, climbed back on and hissed in discomfort as the pain shot through her. Maura watched her with concern etched across her face but she knew better than to ask how Jane was feeling. The detective's stubbornness was something she was all too familiar with.

"How're you feeling?" Korsak asked as he took in the sight of Jane's bruised and battered face.

"Fan-fucking-tastic," Jane answered after making sure her mother wasn't anywhere to be seen. "Any news?"

"CSU found two different blood types on the kitchen floor in Doctor Isles' home," Frost said and both Jane and Maura looked up. "Did you at any time kick or punch one of your attackers?"

Jane frowned. "I… I might have done but…" The images played over and over again in her head. "I know they weren't wearing gloves. They used their bare hands. One of them could have injured themselves. Did you get DNA?"

"They're running it now. If they have been busted before, the DNA should be in the system."

"Any more on who leaked our location to these assholes?" Jane wanted to know. "Nobody was supposed to know we were in that safe house."

Korsak's face darkened and he shared a look with Frost. It seemed neither was happy to break their findings to Jane. "We have an idea."

The tone of his voice alarmed Jane and she looked at the older detective. She had known Vince Korsak for a long time and this tone of voice was never good. "Who?" When she saw how his eyes narrowed she felt her heart miss a beat. "You think it's Martinez?!"

"It's gotta be," Frost said. "What we need to figure out now is if he did it accidentally and betrayed your location to someone in his own squad who then leaked it or whether he is the leak."

Jane leant back in her chair. She and Rafael Martinez went way back. Their history was troubled and she had been less than happy when he returned to BPD. His arrogance and his lack for the rules irritated her. She'd never pegged him for a dirty cop but this wasn't the first time she had questioned his integrity and the one thing she had learnt in her time as a detective was that where there was smoke, there was fire.

"Martinez is a smart guy," Frankie said. "He knows that there were only for people who knew where Jane and Maura were. If their location was to be compromised, he would be the first one you turn to." He chewed the inside of his cheek. "It's gotta run deeper than that. I don't know the guy as well as Jane does but he focuses mainly on Colombian and Mexican gangs bringing drugs into Boston. How would a guy like him end up with Paddy Doyle's enemies?"

The mention of her father's name was enough to make Maura look up. Until now she had only listened to the conversation. "Actually, it isn't so unlikely," she said and four sets of eyes fixed on her. "Like Frankie said, Martinez knows his way around the Colombian and Mexican gangs. Nobody would _expect _him to be in touch with the Irish mob."

"Doctor Isles has a point," Frost said.

"Who else knows about this?" Jane wanted to know.

"Everybody in this room and Cavanaugh. He thinks we should let Martinez carry on for now but watch his every move without him noticing."

"How are we gonna do that?" Jane wanted to know.

"A few days before the shooting at the crime scene, Martinez requested Frankie for one of his smaller undercover operations," Korsak answered. "Frankie's still part of his squad."

Jane looked at her brother. "He's gonna know you're watching him."

"Not if he doesn't know we're watching. Korsak's told him he thinks the leak's in Homicide."

"When is Doyle's trial date?" Jane asked. "Do you think we need to postpone until we figure out what the hell is going on?"

"Not for another week," Maura answered. She pushed a plate towards Jane. On it was a pancake with some fresh strawberries. "I can talk to the prosecution if you want. ADA Skinner seems like a reasonable enough man. If we explain to them what's been going on they may push the trial back to the end of the year. They wouldn't go to trial if the mob is threatening the detective who arrested Paddy Doyle."

"We need to look more into DOyke's backhround," Jane said slowly. "Something in his past will gibe us the answer about who is behind all of this."

Maura looked at Jane. She knew Jane would not be happy if she knew she had visited Doyle without her knowing but she couldn't tell her. She didn't want Jane to know that she would go to the end of the world if it meant stopping all of this. She recognised that in her father and she recognised it in herself, no matter how hard she tried to hide it. It was what tied them together. She knew he would do anything to protect her and she would do anything to protect Jane. The common denominator in both cases was Doyle.

"It has to be someone who knows Doyle well," Maura said and her hazel eyes drifted from Jane to Frankie, Korsak and eventually Frost. "It has got to be someone who has some kind of control over him. They know something about him that actually makes him scared; otherwise he would have done something to stop this by now. There's no doubt that Doyle knows about the shooting. He knows about the hit but he hasn't done anything to stop it." She put down her spoon. "Why?"

"There is only one person who is that important in Doyle's life other than you," Jane pointed out. "Hope."

"But Doctor Martin doesn't have anything to do with this," Frost answered. "We've checked. She's still out of the country." He looked back at Jane. "You think it goes back that far?"

"Maybe even further," Jane mused. "This definitely has something to do with Doyle past." She rubbed the back of her head. The blinding pain was still there. "Does Cavanaugh know anything? He spent a large part of his career looking into Doyle. He knows him better than any of us."

"I'll get Cavanaugh to dig up all the old files on Doyle and his buddies," Korsak said and he took his cell phone out of his pocket. "I've also spoken to my contact in the Gang Unit and they're giving us all their stuff on the Irish mob dating back to the sixties and seventies. If there's anything in there, we'll find it."

"There has got to be something Doyle is terrified of losing," Jane said and her eyes fixed on Maura. Until a few days ago she believed that Maura was that something but it seemed that this was no longer true. Something had changed somewhere and they had missed whatever it was. "What could a man like Doyle possibly have left that would ruin him if anyone found out?"

The front door opened and Angela walked into the house. Her face lit up when she noticed the gathering of people in Maura's kitchen. She crossed the room, wrapped her arms around Frost's neck before moving on to Korsak and eventually kissed Jane on her hair. Jane leaned against her mother's shoulder.

"We should probably go back to the station," Frost said as he looked at Korsak.

Jane let out a sigh of frustration. She wanted nothing more than to come with them but she could barely see. It would at least be a few more days before she'd be fit enough to go back to the precinct and that was oinly if she could cope with the pain from her broken ribs. She looked at Maura. The doctor had walked around the counter and now stood at Jane's other side, her hand on her knee.

"Would you mind if I go with them?" she asked softly, her hazel eyes fixed on the injured detective. "I want to help them, Jane."

"I know," Jane answered sadly. "I know. I just wish I could help too."

"You're helping by getting better. Once you're back on your feet, those assholes will have no idea what's about to hit them," Korsak grinned. "You focus on getting better and before you know it you'll be back."

"I'll get a patrol officer to swing by and drop off some of the stuff the Gang Unit has unearthed. I'm sure you'll find something in there that will help us nail these bastards," Korsak promised when he saw Jane's crestfallen face. She looked up to him with a grateful smile. He knew her as well as she knew him. "Never seen a case that Jane Rizzoli couldn't crack."

"Thanks, Vince."

"We gotta get going," Frankie said and started for the door. "Martinez wants to see me for a briefing in an hour."

Maura leaned in and softly kissed Jane on her lips. She wanted it to last longer, taste the sweetness of Jane's lips for hours but she knew she couldn't stay. She had to figure this thing out if she wanted to protect Jane. She squeezed Jane's hand when they parted and rested her forehead against that of the detective's. Their gazes locked.

"I love you," she whispered before letting go. "I promise I'll be back as soon as I can."

"I'll look after her," Angela reassured her. "You go do what you need to do."

Jane called Maura back just before she walked out of the front door. The doctor spun around, her hair dancing around her head as she did. Jane's lips curled up into a smile and she felt a warm feeling spread through her chest. "I love you too."

Maura heaved a sigh and closed the door behind her. She followed frost and Korsak down the drive and waited for them to get into their car before getting into her own. She reversed off the drive and followed them and Frankie into the direction of BPD Headquarters. She didn't switch on the radio, choosing instead to sit in silence and think about what Jane had said. There was someone Doyle was scared off. Someone who had such control over him that he would even allow his own daughter to be hurt. Someone who could force both him and Maura to lie in court.

Maura's face changed into a dark mask of anger as the thoughts settled into her head and her grip on her steering wheel tightened. She would do anything to protect Jane and she vowed to herself that She would find out who this person was and once she did, she would bring them down. This had to end.

Half an hour later she parked her car in the designated parking space for the Chief Medical Examiner and got out. She saw Frankie walk off with two detectives that worked for Martinez's Drug Unit and she took a deep breath, pushing away the anxiety she felt over Frankie spying on Martinez. She eventually met up with Korsak and Frost in the lobby of the building and the three of them stepped into the elevator and made their way up to Homicide. As the doors slid open they found Cavanaugh waiting for them, a dark look in his eyes. He looked from the two detectives to Maura.

"My office," he stated. "We need to talk."

The foursome walked through the corridor to Cavanaugh's office and he closed the door behind them before shutting the blinds. He slowly turned around and looked at the three people standing in the middle of his office. His eyes fixed on Maura.

"How's Jane?"

"All things considered, she's doing well," Maura answered. "But you know Jane…"

Cavanaugh couldn't suppress a grin. "She'd be here if she could, eh?"

Maura nodded. "She didn't like being left behind."

"It's the best place for her right now," Cavanaugh asked. "Anyone who knows Jane well expects her to come back to BPD at some point. If they're still watching they know she's alive but my guess is that, for now at least, they think she may be incapacitated and I'd like to keep it that way. Which means…" He looked at Maura. "That you too will need to keep a low profile, Doctor Isles."

"I understand."

Cavanaugh sank down into his comfortable armchair and passed a thin file to Korsak. "We got a hit on the DNA."

Maura's heart skipped a beat and she peered over Korsak's shoulder to check the results. It was a name she didn't recognise but from the way Korsak looked at Cavanaugh she knew that the older detective did know it.

"This has been confirmed?"

"Twice."

Korsak lowered the file. "Then we've got a problem."

Cavanaugh rubbed his eyes. "I know, Vince."

"Who is Regan McGinnis?" Maura wanted to know. "And how did her DNA end up in that kitchen? Jane said both her attackers were male."

"There must have been a third person in the house at some point," Cavanaugh said slowly. "They found drops of her blood alongside Jane's." He glanced at Korsak. "Regan McGinnis is the only known female boss in the Irish mob. She took over after her brother Ewan was killed in a standoff with cops a few years ago. Her nickname is The Ghost."

"The Ghost?" Maura asked. "Why?"

"Because everybody knows she exists but nobody knows what she looks like. There is not a single picture of her anywhere."

"How did we get her DNA if no one has ever seen her?" Frost wanted to know.

"One of her victims survived an attack. He gave us her name and her DNA was stored on file."

"What's her connection to Doyle?" Korsak asked.

"The McGinnis family kept mainly to themselves, didn't mix with other gags. Blood was everything to them. We didn't think there was a link to Doyle other than perhaps rivalry," Cavanaugh said slowly and he picked up a sheet of paper that was still lying on his desk. "That was, until this morning."

He gave them to Maura and she recognised the paperwork as results of another DNA test. Suddenly her hands started shaking and the room began to spin. Her heart pounded in her chest and her eyes snapped up to Cavanaugh. He looked at her. He knew.

"Regan McGinnis' blood gave two results," Cavanaugh said, a slight tremor in his voice. "One for the blood we already had on file and another match…"

"Mine."

Frost and Korsak turned to Maura in surprise and the doctor looked at the two detectives, showing them the DNA tests. "Regan McGinnis' DNA results are a match with mine."

Frost frowned. "So, she's your sister?"

Maura swallowed hard and felt unexpected tears well up in her eyes. "She's more than that. The DNA is identical. Regan McGinnis my twin."


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

The silence in Cavanaugh's office had lasted for minutes now. Nobody was able to speak. The four people inside its four walls just looked at each other as the reality of the situation they had encountered slowly sank in. Suddenly everything they knew about this case had changed and the discovery that Maura had an identical twin she never knew about had created a whole new dimension.

"Did you know?" Cavanaugh asked after several minutes. His eyes were fixed on Maura.

She shook her head, tears still glistening in her eyes. "No." She swallowed hard. "My mother… my _biological_ mother… Doctor Martin… she never mentioned a twin."

Korsak rubbed the back of his neck. "Is there a chance she didn't know?"

"How do you not know you have given birth to twins?" Frost asked, furrowing his brow. "Somehow that would seem pretty obvious to me."

"Doctor Isles, we're going to need to speak with Doctor Martin," Cavanaugh stressed. "I know this is difficult for you but do you have any reason to believe that she may somehow be involved in this?" There was a tremor in his voice and it was that echo of hurt that made Maura look up. Cavanaugh had his own history with Paddy Doyle and this all came back to him. "She was the love of his life. Do you think she knew?"

Maura only realised her voice had been reduced to a whisper when she spoke. "Like Detective Frost said, how could she not have known?"

"Do you know where Doctor Martin is now?" Cavanaugh asked, careful not to refer to Hope as Maura's mother. Even though he didn't know the medical examiner as well as the detectives in the room with him, he had seen enough leading up to Doyle's trial to understand that the relationship between Maura and her biological mother was a complicated one.

Maura sighed. "Abroad, I believe." She looked at Korsak. "Did you check her whereabouts around the time of the shooting?"

Korsak nodded. "She's not in Boston at the moment but we have her contact number. We'll tell her it's an emergency and she needs to return as soon as possible."

"I need to tell Jane."

The words silenced the room and Maura suddenly looked lost and forlorn. All her life she'd believed she was an only child; a lonely child struggling to cope in a world that didn't understand her intellect. Then a few years ago she found out she had a half-brother. It was the same day she found out that Paddy Doyle was her father. Suddenly she had a blood relative and it was the most frightening experience of her life. It had triggered the desire to know who her mother was, even if at the same time she didn't want to know the type of man her father was. Learning that Hope Martin had another child, Cailin, gave her a half-sister as well. But none of that compared to the discovery that she had a sister, a twin, out there. Somehow, throughout her entire life, somebody who looked exactly like her had lived on this world too and she didn't know.

"You want one of us to drive you home?" Frost asked but Maura shook her head.

"You're going to need everyone here to try and find out more about Regan," she replied. Her hazel eyes snapped up to meet Frost's dark ones. The usual kindness in them had faded and what remained was an almost hollow, distant glare. There was bitterness in her voice when she spoke. "I want you to find my sister."

She turned around and left Cavanaugh's office, closing the door softly behind her. Maura started down the corridor and reached the elevator. She pressed the button and waited for the doors to open. The sound of footsteps made her look up and her heart skipped a beat when she laid eyes on Rafael Martinez. Their eyes met across the hallway and he smiled.

"Doctor Isles," he said, "I heard what happened. Are you allright? How's Jane?"

"Fine." Her heart hammered in her chest. "She's fine."

"If there's anything I can do…"

"There is." The elevator doors slid open and Maura stepped inside, slowly turning back around to face Martinez. "Leave us alone."

The doors closed and Maura staggered towards the back of the elevator, grabbing hold of the metal railing for support. Her heart was racing so fast that it felt like it was about to burst out of her chest. A funny taste in the back of her throat made her want to gag and it took her a few seconds to identify the signs of panic. Beads of sweat glistened on her forehead when the elevator reached the lobby and she stepped out. Ignoring the people around her she walked out of the main entrance and inhaled the fresh air outside.

Her drive home was a blur. She barely remembered getting in her car and she completed her journey on autopilot. When she pulled into the drive she noticed the unmarked police car across the road. The officers inside waved to let her know they'd seen her but she didn't wave back. She walked to the front door, stuck the key in the lock and stepped into her house at the exact same moment the commentator on TV shared his excitement over a particular good run by one of the football players on the screen.

"Jane?"

Jane's head whipped around, albeit it a little slower than usual, and she saw Maura standing in the kitchen. One look at her girlfriend's face told her that something was wrong and Jane got up. When she reached Maura she slipped her arms around her and pulled her close. Now that her head rested against Jane's chest, Maura finally dared to let out all the tears that had been building up since finding out about Regan.

"What's wrong?" Jane whispered as she gently brushed a strand of hair out of Maura's face. Her fingertips ghosted across the doctor's cheek. "Maura, what happened?"

Maura pulled away from Jane but the tears continued to slide down her cheeks. Just as she was about to speak the other door opened and Angela walked in. When she saw Maura crying she shot one questioning look at Jane but her daughter looked as confused as she did. Tentatively Angela crossed the room and searched Maura's face.

"Maura, honey, why are you crying?"

"They checked the DNA on the blood they found at the house," Maura said slowly. Her eyes fixed on Jane. "You said both your attackers were male, right?"

Jane nodded. "I didn't see their faces but I heard their voices."

"Are you sure there were only two people there?"

Jane furrowed her brow and looked at Maura in confusion. "Yes," she answered. "I only ever saw two. Two men. Why, what's going on? What aren't you telling me?"

"One of the DNA samples found inside the house belongs to a woman."

"A woman?!" Jane's eyes widened. "That's impossible. I think I would have noticed if a woman was involved!"

"She may have come in after you were already down. She's isn't the type to take someone down herself but she'll join in when she gets the chance, which is probably how her blood ended up on the floor."

"Who are you talking about?" Jane wanted to know and Maura slowly looked up at her.

"Regan McGinnis."

"The Ghost?!"

Maura felt her heart sank when Jane used the same description she had heard a little earlier that morning. She averted her eyes. "You know her?"

"Every cop in Boston knows who Regan McGinnis is but nobody has ever seen her, hence the nickname."

"Well, after today we can tell everybody we know exactly what she looks like," Maura said and her voice trembled. "We'll just show them a picture of me."

"What do you mean?"

"Regan McGinnis' DNA is a perfect match to mine."

"What?!"

"I have a sister, Jane. An identical twin I never knew about." Maura swallowed hard. "And she happens to be one of the most notorious crime bosses here in Boston."

Jane covered her mouth with her hand and looked at Maura. She could see the hurt and the pain behind her eyes but in her mind she tried to envision the realisation that out there was another woman who looked exactly like her but was on the opposite side of the law. The discovery that Maura was related to Paddy Doyle had been startling enough but to learn that her ties to the criminal side of Boston ran even deeper was a surprise.

"Oh Maura," Angela said softly and took the medical examiner's hand into her own. "I'm so sorry."

"How could she not have known?!" Maura exclaimed all of a sudden, tears glistening in her eyes. She felt angry, hurt and betrayed. She had been lied to her whole life, by different people. It didn't matter if it was done to protect her. The truth had been out for some time and still nobody told her about Regan. "How could Hope not have known that she had two babies? Why did she not tell me?"

"Maybe she really didn't know," Jane suggested.

Maura shot her a dark glare. "Oh come on, Jane. How do you not know you've given birth to two babies instead of one?!"

"Maura, did Hope ever mention how you were delivered into this world?" Angela carefully asked. "Were you born via a C-section?"

"I…I don't know," Maura stammered. "I'd have to ask her. Why?"

"My second cousin Deanna delivered her twin boys via C-section," Angela explained. "Only she didn't know there were two babies. It wasn't until the doctors did the surgery that they found there was another baby in there. They were back to back and nobody noticed. Deanna had a general anaesthetic so when she woke up she expected to see one baby, not two. She didn't know what happened inside that operating room until they told her."

Maura walked over to the couch and sat down, cradling her head in her hands. "Could it really have happened that way?"

"It was 1976, Maura," Jane said softly as she sat down beside her and took her hand into her own. "Paddy controlled most of Boston back then and so did his father. The Doyle's used to run this town. If Hope had a C-section under general anaesthetic then it would explain why she always believed that you were dead. Paddy told her. She may not have known she had two babies."

"So he sent me to my parents, a good family who would raise me the way he wanted me to be raised and my sister ended up in a life of crime?" Maura asked. "Why? So she could run the same kind of life he did? Why not give her the same chance he gave me?"

"She has a different last name," Jane reminded her. "Her last name is McGinnis, not Doyle. She took over when her brother was killed in a police raid a few years ago. The McGinnis family wasn't the type to mix with other families. They kept to themselves." She sat back and looked at Maura. She had never seen her look so lost and so broken. "So why would Doyle give them one of his babies?"

"Payment?" Angela suggested. "Or maybe it's more sinister than that. I read an article the other day that says there's a black marker where people sell babies to couples who cannot have their own."

"You been reading Maura's magazines again, Ma?" Jane asked with half a smile and Angela shrugged. "Maybe you're right. What if Paddy gave Regan to the McGinnis family?"

"Why?" Maura asked, sounding bitter. "Why would he do that? Why give a child to a rival family?"

"I think Ma was right when she said that it could have been payment," Jane said slowly.

"That would have to be one hell of debt," Maura said slowly. "Giving someone else one of your children…"

"Question is, does Regan know?" Jane interjected. "Because if she does, we may have found the reason she's trying to mess with Doyle's trial."

"You think she blames him?"

"Perhaps. Now that Paddy's going to trial your connection to him has been broadly measured out in the newspapers. Someone like Regan isn't stupid. She will have followed the news. Can you imagine what she must have felt like when she saw you, Doyle's daughter, looking exactly like she does?" Jane ran her fingers through her hair. "I don't doubt for a second that she knows she's Doyle's daughter too." Her eyes found Maura's. "That she's your sister."

"Maybe this is what Paddy's been trying to hide from me," Maura said and rubbed her eyes. The tears had dried but they were still burning. "He didn't want me to know that I have a sister."

"Not just you," Jane said softly. "Do you remember how he reacted when you told him you'd found Hope? How he responded when you brought her to him? Can you imagine what he must be feeling, realising that any day now you could discover that you have a sister? Can you imagine Hope discovering Doyle didn't lie about one child, but he lied about two and that second child is now one of the most powerful mob bosses in Boston?"

Maura leaned back against the cushions on the couch. The feeling in her chest was indescribable. The realisation she had been lied to, had been cheated out of the life she could have shared with her sister if Doyle had chosen to give both of them to her adoptive parents, angered her. She had never quite experienced this type of anger before. It was the kind of rage that only came after the discovery of betrayal. The bitter agony, the sickening feeling of realising something had been taken from her that never should have been away from her.

"We have to talk to Hope," Jane said as she squeezed Maura's hand. "She has a right to know."

Maura turned her head to look at Jane. "There's somebody else we need to talk to."

"No," Jane answered dismissively. "Don't you dare go there, Maura. He has nothing to say about this."

"I have to, Jane," Maura answered quietly. "He's my father. He knows about this. He will be able to tell us why Regan targeted you. Why she's targeting all of us."

"Doyle will only use this for his own gain."

"He won't," Maura said. "I won't let him."

"Jane, maybe Maura's right," Angela carefully suggested. "He's the man who started all of this. Because of Doyle Maura got the life she has now, no matter how you look at it. That same decision made that Regan has her life too. He is the only one who can tell you why he gave her to the McGinnis family."

Jane seemed reluctant to admit that both her mother and Maura were right. She didn't like doing anything that involved getting information out of Paddy Doyle. She didn't doubt that he loved his daughter but she did question his motives. Whatever Doyle did, he always did to gain something himself. There was never something he did out of the goodness of his own heart. Criminals like him would make sure to find something to gain themselves before helping the police.

"Okay," she eventually said and Maura looked up in surprise. "But I will speak to him."

"Jane, you can't do that. They're still looking for you."

"They know where I am, Maura. It takes more than a goddamn police car outside to scare those guys. They've had plenty of chances since we got here. Why haven't they tried again?"

"I don't know."

"I will talk to Doyle. I don't want you in the same room as that guy."

Maura looked down into her lap. She couldn't bring herself to tell Jane she had already spoken to her father. She knew Jane wouldn't be angry, perhaps disappointed, but when she saw the anger in Jane's eyes she just sighed and didn't speak. There would be another time to tell her but it was not now.

"Try and get hold of Hope," Jane suggested. "If you ask her to come back to Boston, she will. Tell her it's about Paddy's trial. I'll get Frankie to take me to the prison so see Doyle." She couldn't suppress a smile. "He's going to have the fright of his life when he sees what his other daughter did to me."

Maura just looked at Jane. Even now that she was hurt, battered and bruised almost beyond recognition, she still wanted to protect Maura. It was what she did. She would always step up and be the one to keep her safe but Maura knew deep down that this time the roles were reversed, even if Jane hadn't realised it yet. This was no longer about Jane keeping her safe. This was about her doing what she needed to do to protect Jane. She admired Jane for wanting to keep fighting, even if it hurt so much it would bring tears to her eyes, but it wasn't Jane who needed to fight this time.

She stood up and walked out of the living room and up the stairs to the bedroom. She heard Jane behind her and a few seconds later the dark haired detective was in the room with her. Strong, caring arms slipped around her waist, pulling her closer. Jane's lips were on hers before she even had a chance to register them and Maura just gave in to the feeling of absolute freedom. The demons that lurked inside of her were suddenly chased away and in that precious moment there was only the two of them and for a little while the dangers of the world around them didn't matter.

Jane rested her forehead against Maura's after the kiss ended. "Everything's going to be allright," she whispered. "And you know I wouldn't promise you that if I didn't believe it was true."

"I have a sister," Maura whispered. "And my sister tried to kill you."

"I know," Jane answered and let her fingers run up and down Maura's arms as if to remind herself that holding Maura was truly real. "We'll find a way to bring this to an end, Maura."

Maura's eyes fell shut as she buried her face in Jane's hear. "I know," she breathed against her neck. "But at what cost?"


End file.
